Henry Chaiklin

Hank (Henry) Chaiklin died peacefully at home surrounded by his family on October 4, 2025, after years of living with Lewy Body Dementia. Hank was a man that lived life to the fullest with authenticity and following his passions. He loved basketball – playing obsessively in high school and then in college and into his old age on a senior league. He quit his college basketball team when his coach said he had to choose between civil rights and basketball. Hank joined the 1960s civil rights movement – lying about his age to participate in the Mississippi Freedom Summer, fighting discrimination as a leader of the Worcester Student Movement for Civil Rights and founder of the Prospect House, a community development organization. Hank loved Central America and had a great appreciation for hard woods. He started a business that imported and exported exotic hard woods, owning several sawmills in Central America. He also owned a 125-acre farm in rural Costa Rica where he spent a large amount of time working to produce a commercial crop of mamón chino or rambutan. Hank is survived by his wife, three daughters, two sons-in-law, and three grandchildren all of who brought him great joy throughout his spectacular life.