July 17, 1951 - February 24, 2022
It is with heartfelt sadness that Zofia and Elizabeth announce the passing of their brother Henry at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital on February 24, 2022. Henry was the third of five children of Josef and Jadwiga Salomon-de-Friedberg.
Born in Nottingham, England, Henry emigrated to Canada with his parents and his sisters, Barbara and Elizabeth, in 1953. The family lived first in Trois-Rivières and Cap-de-la Madeleine before moving to Lasalle, Québec in 1960. After graduating from LaSalle Catholic High School in 1968, he went to McGill University and graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Metallurgy). He continued his studies at McGill obtaining his Master of Engineering (Metallurgy) three years later.
After leaving university, he worked for Noranda Mining Ltd. for two years as a research engineer working in the areas of copper smelting technology, lead blast furnace smelting, enhanced energy utilization and converting waste by-products into useful by products.
He joined Teck (Cominco) Ltd. in 1979 and worked for the company in various positions and in a number of locations until his retirement in 2016. He started at Cominco in the research division (implementation of zinc pressure leaching technology, oxide fume processing, zinc calcine leaching, lead smelting, and in other areas) in Trail, BC.
In 1994, he transferred to CESL to operate a pilot plant for a new copper process; and in 1995 moved to Chile where he was chief plant engineer at Quebrada Blanca. Upon returning to Canada in 2000, he first was posted to Kimberley where he oversaw the construction, start-up, and operation of a novel zinc process at a demonstration scale.
Next, he led the technical development group for the zinc plants in Trail, and in 2007 he accepted the position of technical superintendent and superintendent of new technology with CESL based out of Richmond, BC.
Henry loved his work and the field of metallurgy. Even in retirement he was interested in new developments and always thinking about how to solve one kind of problem or another. He was analytical, thorough and had high standards.
As a young man his interests were chess and tennis. When he moved to Rossland, BC he took up downhill skiing and running and participated for a number of years in the Spokane 10km run. For many years he played bridge and accumulated a large library of bridge books.
Later he took up golf, which he enjoyed very much after he retired, especially when his efforts resulted in three holes in one. He spoke English, Polish, French and Spanish.
He was funny and smart, read widely, loved puns and a well turned phrase, and good conversation.
After retiring from Teck, he moved to Parksville, BC and often said that he had moved to paradise.
He leaves behind two sisters, two nephews and many friends. He was predeceased by his parents, his sister, Barbara, and brother, Adam.