Henry G. Behrens

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution announces with great sorrow the death December 30, 1999 of retiree and former Deputy Controller Henry G. Behrens in Falmouth. He was 89.

Hank Behrens was born December 23, 1910 in New York City and graduated from Jamaica High School in Jamaica, Long Island, in 1928. He attended New York University nights for three years, majoring in accounting and banking, and later attended Shrivenham American University in England where he studied business law and office management. He worked as office manager at Personal Finance Company of New York from 1934 to 1943 and as a statistician at Holsapple Harvey & Co. from 1936 to 1937. He served in the U.S. Army as a Sergeant and Warehouse Supervisor from 1943 to 1946.

Hank joined the WHOI staff May 1, 1946 as Office Manager, working in the White House with Business Manager John McGilvray. He took a brief leave of absence in 1951 when the National Guard was federalized for the Korean War and returned to WHOI in January 1952. In 1962 he was promoted to Deputy Controller, working with Harvey MacKillop. He retired from WHOI in 1976 and remained affiliated with the Institution as a long-time member of the Associates.

Hank’s wife, Virginia “Ginny” Behrens, was a longtime employee of the telephone company and later worked in real estate in Woods Hole. She is deceased.

Funeral services are private. A memorial service is planned for Wednesday, January 12, 2000 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Barnabas Memorial Church, 91 Main Street, Falmouth. Donations may be made in Henry Behren’s name to the Memorial Fund of St. Barnabas, Box 203, Falmouth, MA 02540.