Memorial honors Henri Nereaux

The life of Henri Nereaux was celebrated at a memorial in New York City on April 14. The Solidarity Center hall was packed, as close to a hundred of his comrades in Workers World Party, friends in the International Action Center, former shipmates and union brothers from the Masters, Mates & Pilots, family members and neighbors came to pay a final tribute to this stalwart fighter for workers’ rights.

For three and a half hours, they traded stories about his doggedness in the struggle, his cheerful willingness to do whatever task needed to be done, and his skill in dealing with adversaries.

IAC co-coordinator and chair of the memorial, Teresa Gutierrez, announced the setting up of an Henri Nereaux Memorial Fund that will help young people visit Cuba this summer—a place dear to his heart. He had visited the island many times, both before and after its socialist revolution.

His long-time companion and editor of Workers World, Deirdre Griswold, described highlights of his early life as a seafarer and union official. An article about his life appeared in the March 29 issue of Workers World.

—Workers World NYC bureau