HENNINGER, JR.

HARRY W.

Harry W. Henninger, Jr., known by many as Henny, passed away on June 2, 2026, at the age of 80. Born on September 22, 1945, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Elizabeth Cannon Henninger and Harry Henninger, Sr., Henny attended Edgewood Primary before going on to Gilmore Academy. After graduating from Gilmore in 1964, he attended the University of Dayton for a short time before enlisting in the military. He often credited the US Air Force as having helped shape his early life. He would also later quip that he must have done something really wrong to get stationed in the remote Aleutian Islands in Alaska.

Following his military service, Henny joined the family business at Kennywood Park. He started in his teens working in the men's locker room of the swimming pool and retired as CEO in 2007. A visionary leader, Henny guided Kennywood through a renaissance that balanced innovation with tradition, introducing exciting new attractions while preserving the nostalgia generations of visitors cherished.

During his tenure, Kennywood debuted its first million-dollar ride, the Log Jammer, and Henny transformed a former steel mill site along the Monongahela River into what became Sandcastle Waterpark. Among his many creative marketing ideas was getting Myron Cope and Jack Lambert to star in a commercial riding the Raging Rapids before its public debut. Under his leadership, the company expanded from a single amusement park into a regional entertainment organization operating five parks across three states.

For many years, Henny was the public face of Kennywood. Anyone flipping through television channels in the 1980s or 1990s might have found him sharing stories on PBS documentaries such as Kennywood Memories and Great Old Amusement Parks, helping to galvanize the park in the hearts of those in Pittsburgh and beyond.

Like the roller coasters he helped build, Henny's life was full of ups and downs and twists and turns. Henny married Sue Laufman in 1970, whom he had known since childhood. In 1978, they were blessed with their son Brad, and together the family shared countless adventures. In 1995, Henny endured the loss of Sue, and six years later the passing of Brad, heartbreaks he carried with profound resilience.

As fate would have it, Henny had the good fortune to meet Barb Carey one evening at Chiodo's Tavern. This year would have marked 25 years of their wonderful, loving marriage. Henny and Barb enjoyed traveling, entertaining, and spending time with family and friends at their home, Conneaut Lake, Hilton Head, and Ligonier. They were often seen walking through Frick Park or the Strip District accompanied by one of their beloved black Labrador retrievers.

Henny was a Pittsburgh icon who seemed to know someone everywhere he went. Before Steelers games, he would often tie up his boat for a tailgate and spend so much time greeting friends that he occasionally missed the first quarter.

The only thing Henny liked more than telling a good story was creating one. He was known for shenanigans that created memories to cherish, such as those involving the borrowing of a historical paddleboat at Conneaut Lake or kidnapping his friend/the groom at his rehearsal dinner.

A philanthropist without fanfare, Henny was especially generous with his time. He served on various nonprofit boards, including the Fred Rogers Company, Frick Museum, Pittsburgh Parks' Conservancy, The Children's Home, St. Edmund's Academy, PA Partnerships for Children, and the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions.

Henny's legacy will endure across Western Pennsylvania for generations to come. Every scream of excitement aboard the Phantom's Revenge as it zips below the Thunderbolt, every laugh echoing from a Sandcastle waterslide, and every childhood memory made at Kennywood stands as a testament to his vision, leadership, and love for creating places for families to enjoy. His was a life that will be remembered as one lived fully, generously, and with a sense of fun that never faded.

Henny is survived by his beloved wife, Barb; his sisters, Ruth (Neil) MacKay and Mary (Ted) Butanowicz; his brothers-in-law, Tom (Joyce) Carey and David (Sue) Carey; his sisters-in-law, Deborah (Hank) Stevens and Linda Carey; as well as many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews, all of whom will deeply miss their Uncle Henny.

Friends will be received Sunday, June 14, 2026, 5-8 p.m., on Monday June 15, 2026, 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m., THOMAS L. NIED FUNERAL HOME INC., 7441 Washington Avenue, Swissvale, PA, 412-271-0345.

A service will be held Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 10 a.m., at the Church of the Redeemer, 5700 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, 15217. EVERYONE TO MEET AT THE CHURCH. Interment will be held privately.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to your charity of choice or The Children's Home of Pittsburgh https://www.childrenshomepgh.org/

www.niedfuneralhome.com