Thought I would share this with you guys.... Barney was a legend and sadly no one actually gave him his due credit....great guy and was still very sharp in his late years. RIP .... Barney passed away in May 2007. He was an absolute gent and character!
Remembering Ansdale 'Barney' Henricus: Escondido man was a great boxer, terrific dancer
ESCONDIDO - Ansdale "Barney" Henricus' nimble feet made him a Sri Lankan boxing champion in the 1930s and a huge hit on the dance floor of North County senior centers the last decade.
Friends and family members on Thursday remembered the charming, highly motivated Escondido resident who died Monday at the age of 91.
Henricus jumped rope and played tennis into his 90s, said his friend, Dorothy Hall, an Escondido resident.
"He was such a good influence and he made you want to do something," said Hall, who enjoyed dancing with Henricus at senior centers in Escondido, Oceanside and San Marcos.
"Gosh, he was a fantastic dancer," remembers Hall, adding that he was especially good at Spanish dancing.
Henricus was a native of Sri Lanka, an island country off the southern coast of India. Henricus worked 33 years as a police officer on the island, but his true passion was boxing, said his son, Wilhelm Henricus in a phone interview from Seattle.
"He was a great, great boxer," said Henricus, who added that his father relied on his quick feet to elude his opponents.
Henricus' greatest achievement was winning the gold medal in the featherweight boxing division in the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney, Australia, according to his son.
Wilhelm Henricus said his father was going to represent Sri Lanka in the 1940 Olympics, but the games were canceled due to World War II.
"There is no doubt he would have been an Olympic gold medalist," said Wilhelm Henricus, who remembers running along the beach with his father in Sri Lanka.
Henricus also taught boxing at a college in Sri Lanka. Wilhelm Henricus said that his dad, who went to church often, always stressed to his children and boxers the importance of values and doing what was right.
"He was a great dad," Wilhelm Henricus said. "He and my mom sacrificed so much for us four children."
Henricus' daughter, Diane, met a U.S. Marine in Sri Lanka, and the family ended up moving to the United States when he returned to Camp Pendleton. Henricus came to the United States in 1988 and became a citizen five years later.
Wilhelm Henricus said that his father struggled at first in his new country, but he really had a great time once he met Hall on the dance floor.
In addition to dancing, Hall said Henricus taught her all about tennis. Hall remembers that the first thing Henricus did every morning was cut out the crossword puzzle from the newspaper.
"He always finished the crosswords in one day," Hall said. "He just loved to keep his mind going."
And his feet moving.
Remembering Ansdale 'Barney' Henricus: Escondido man was a great boxer, terrific dancer
ESCONDIDO - Ansdale "Barney" Henricus' nimble feet made him a Sri Lankan boxing champion in the 1930s and a huge hit on the dance floor of North County senior centers the last decade.
Friends and family members on Thursday remembered the charming, highly motivated Escondido resident who died Monday at the age of 91.
Henricus jumped rope and played tennis into his 90s, said his friend, Dorothy Hall, an Escondido resident.
"He was such a good influence and he made you want to do something," said Hall, who enjoyed dancing with Henricus at senior centers in Escondido, Oceanside and San Marcos.
"Gosh, he was a fantastic dancer," remembers Hall, adding that he was especially good at Spanish dancing.
Henricus was a native of Sri Lanka, an island country off the southern coast of India. Henricus worked 33 years as a police officer on the island, but his true passion was boxing, said his son, Wilhelm Henricus in a phone interview from Seattle.
"He was a great, great boxer," said Henricus, who added that his father relied on his quick feet to elude his opponents.
Henricus' greatest achievement was winning the gold medal in the featherweight boxing division in the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney, Australia, according to his son.
Wilhelm Henricus said his father was going to represent Sri Lanka in the 1940 Olympics, but the games were canceled due to World War II.
"There is no doubt he would have been an Olympic gold medalist," said Wilhelm Henricus, who remembers running along the beach with his father in Sri Lanka.
Henricus also taught boxing at a college in Sri Lanka. Wilhelm Henricus said that his dad, who went to church often, always stressed to his children and boxers the importance of values and doing what was right.
"He was a great dad," Wilhelm Henricus said. "He and my mom sacrificed so much for us four children."
Henricus' daughter, Diane, met a U.S. Marine in Sri Lanka, and the family ended up moving to the United States when he returned to Camp Pendleton. Henricus came to the United States in 1988 and became a citizen five years later.
Wilhelm Henricus said that his father struggled at first in his new country, but he really had a great time once he met Hall on the dance floor.
In addition to dancing, Hall said Henricus taught her all about tennis. Hall remembers that the first thing Henricus did every morning was cut out the crossword puzzle from the newspaper.
"He always finished the crosswords in one day," Hall said. "He just loved to keep his mind going."
And his feet moving.
Last edited:
