Henry J. "Sonny" Creutz III

Henry J. Creutz III, most commonly known as “Sonny”, died peacefully on Monday, April 17, 2023, at NewBridge on the Charles’ Long-Term Chronic Care Facility in Dedham, at 85 years of age. He had suffered from Dementia for almost 15 years, living at home until the last two years of his battle with the disease. Born and raised in Quincy, he attended Quincy Schools and was a graduate of Newman Prep and Northeastern University. In 1962, he married Marsha A. McNally at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Braintree. Henry and Marsha lived in Brockton from 1964 until 2000 when they moved to North Easton to live right next door and right around the corner from the seven grandchildren they adored. Henry worked as a computer programmer and systems analyst for Prudential, General Dynamics, Datagraphix, and Anacomp before retiring at age 63.

In addition to his wife Marsha, he is survived by his children, Christopher E. Creutz and his wife Stephanie G. Creutz and Rachel C. Rhodes and her husband Travis M. Rhodes, all of Easton. He was the adored grandfather of Michael E. Creutz, Matthew D. Creutz, Nicholas R. Rhodes, Anthony H. Rhodes, Maricela V. Rhodes, Celeste L. Rhodes, Vincent J. Rhodes, and the late Alexandra M. Creutz. He was the brother of the late Virginia Giannotti, Eunice Tulimieri and Kenneth Creutz.  He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Sonny was a hardworking man who took pride in keeping his home, yard, and pool looking pristine.  His welcoming nature made his yard the sanctuary for his kids and their friends.  He made normally dreaded tasks, like painting the house and weeding, a fun experience for his kids. These memories are etched into their brains due to the unique way he approached these tasks (e.g. they dipped each shingle twice in a bucket of paint to coat both sides for durability). There were always unique sounds filling the air while they worked: the crinkling sounds of the Red Sox blasting on the AM radio, the ridiculous songs Sonny sang, his talented whistling, his dad jokes, and his uncanny ability to talk backwards.  He was an avid reader, extremely good at math, a talented artist, and a creative thinker. He spent hours with his kids on their projects and on his special gifts for them. He purchased a special drill to cut a 45 RPM record in a zig-zag fashion so Chris could have a stunning book report cover celebrating when Johnny Bench broke Yogi Berra’s record. He made food for Rachel’s play kitchen.  He meticulously carved highly dense foam, painted it, and burned its edges to make realistic and crispy french fries, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and hotdogs. He was always determined to teach his kids and their friends the importance of being conscientious and innovative.  Sonny enjoyed golfing and fishing and adored all kinds of music from Jazz to Tina Turner to Lady Gaga.  He was a dedicated Little League coach and an avid Red Sox and Celtics fan and spent much of his senior years watching his grandchildren’s games and dance shows.  He will be remembered as the man that for 50 years comically denied buying a donut with his coffee, despite Marsha consistently finding pieces of wax paper in his car. He will be forever known as “the father who only yelled at his kids one time.” He was the man who drew a poster of several hens saluting while dressed in Army uniforms. He used this to introduce himself at presentations and to help people correctly pronounce his name (Hen Recruits).  

Above all, he respected everyone and saw humor in everything. He always saw the good and loved unconditionally. Even when Dementia had stolen Sonny’s ability to speak and his ability to understand speech, his beautiful and kind nature remained and his perfect manners were ever-present, albeit quieted. Amazingly, he could still embrace you despite not knowing how to hug you.  He will be remembered as a gentle soul, who cherished his family and friends and graciously welcomed all who loved them into his world as if they were his own family. 

The family would like to thank several people for their unwavering devotion to Sonny’s care: Charlie Reilly, Liz Belanger, Gianna Martelli, Annette Browne, Dianna Servello, and the wonderful staff at NewBridge. 

Visiting Hours will be held in the Farley Funeral Home, 358 Park St. (Rt. 27) Stoughton on Monday, April 24, 2023 from 4:00-7:00 PM. Funeral will be held from the Funeral Home on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 8:45 AM followed by a Funeral Mass at Immaculate Conception Church, 193 Main St., North Easton at 10:00 AM. Interment will take place at Immaculate Conception Cemetery, 97 Canton Street, North Easton. We welcome friends and family to a luncheon celebrating Sonny’s life at La Cucina Ristorante from noon to 3 p.m.    

In lieu of flowers, donations in Sonny’s memory may be made to two charities that were dear to him, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude’s Pl., Memphis, TN 38105 or Alzheimer’s Association of MA, 309 Waverley Oaks Rd., Waltham, MA 02452.