Obituary of Henry L. Peyrebrune

Henry Louis Peyrebrune, cherished father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend and colleague, departed our world for heaven on April 2, 2023. Henry was not long ago preceded in death by his loving wife of 58 years, Sally (née Warboys), who passed on June 12, 2022 and whom he now joins once again. Henry is survived by his five children and their spouses and partners, Henry Jr. (Tracy Rowell), Anne King (Patrick), Joan Walters (John), John (Allison Moses), and Robert (Leah Anderst), by his eighteen grandchildren and by two great grandchildren. In addition to his immediate family, he is survived by many extended family members including his brother Paul Peyrebrune (Sharen) and by countless dear friends and neighbors. Henry was preceded in death by his parents, Henri and Louise Peyrebrune, by his sister Claudette Barrett, and by his daughter-in-law Kristin Peyrebrune.

Henry was born in Chicago, IL in 1938. He is a graduate of Fenwick High School in Oak Park, IL, and Purdue University where he earned a degree in Engineering.  Following that he earned a Master’s degree from Yale University, and completed doctoral studies at the University of Minnesota. Henry spent the vast majority of his working years in public service, working for the state of New York. Henry retired as First Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation in 1995. Before that Henry served as Assistant Commissioner for Transportation Policy and Public Transportation at NYSDOT. There he made contributions to the Department's programs in planning, mass transit, aviation, railroads, trucks and ports. He oversaw economic regulation, transportation policy development and implementation. He also served as Program Associate in the Governor's Office where he advised Governor Hugh Carey on programs in transportation, environment and public recreation. 

In addition to his working life, Henry has long been an active member in many communities, and he enjoyed taking part in a wide variety of sports and other physical activities. He played on the St. Thomas softball team for two decades, was a mainstay in the local senior basketball league, and competed in triathlons in his seventies, including at the World Senior Games. Along with his brother Paul, Henry was an avid golfer, and each year, a large group of his family runs the Bethlehem Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. In recent years, Henry took up yoga, and he was a regular at a weekly morning class in the area. Henry’s passion for these kinds of activities made him an early proponent of access to and increased creation of local green spaces. He was an active member of the Town of Bethlehem Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee and an early advocate for the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail. In summer months, Henry could regularly be found biking the length of the rail trail.

Prior to Sally’s passing, she and Henry spent many of their retirement years doing the things they love with those closest to them. They were joyful and reliable attendants at any and all family events, and regularly hosted their children and many grandchildren for holidays and birthdays. They traveled extensively, as a couple, with groups of friends or family, and with their grandkids. They spent many relaxing summers at Schroon Lake in the Adirondacks, and they supported local environmental and nature preservation efforts.

Henry’s loss here in this world will long be felt by many, by his family most of all, his children and grandchildren for whom his generosity and his affection was bountiful. He will be missed by his friends, his neighbors, and his colleagues who could count on him for a helping hand, a friendly word, a good piece of advice, or a weekly pint of Guinness at a local pub. Henry’s loss will be felt so keenly, but his spirit will remain with us, sustaining us in his absence.

Funeral services will be held at St. Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church at 35 Adams Place, Delmar, NY 12054 on Wednesday April 5, 2022. A visitation will be held in the chapel from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. and the funeral mass at 2:00 p.m. in the church. Following his services, Henry will be laid to rest next to Sally in St. Michael’s Meadow at Calvary Cemetery at 481 Rte 9W, Glenmont, NY 12077. 

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, the family requests that remembrances for Henry be made in the form of donations to his preferred charities, The Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, the Musicians of Ma’alwyck, the Albany Symphony, or the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. 

Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy 

www.mohawkhudson.org/donate

Musicians of Ma'alwyck

Musiciansofmaalwyck.org

Albany Symphony Orchestra

albanysymphony.com

The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York 

regionalfoodbank.net/donate-money