Henry (Chick) Chinski passed away on December 29, 2021, at the age of 71, due to complications from Covid.
He was born on June 6, 1950 in Wilmington, Delaware; the son of Henry C. and Corinne (Daley) Chinski. He was grateful for his idealic childhood and spoke of it often. One of his favorite things to do was watch old home movies and revisit that magical time spent growing up with his parents and his two younger sisters whom he adored. He grew up in Woodland Heights and told stories that sounded as though they were taken straight from a movie. Stories of hours spent at the park playing baseball with friends for hours each day. He had a natural talent and a passion for the game and cherished those memories. Chick served proudly as an altar boy at St Catherine of Sienna church where he was also a student. As legend has it, he once used the church/school intercom system to share the latest Beatles song with the entire student body. As a teen, Chick became a member of the Civil Air Patrol, which was the tip of the iceberg with his lifelong love affair with aviation. Chick’s interests were vast and he always had a new project. If he could dream it, he could do it.
At the age of 14, he designed and drafted blueprints for the home that he would eventually build with his own 2 hands. It was in this home where he and the love of his life, Cheryl, raised their family and built a beautiful life together. He and Cheryl met in 1965 at Brandywine Springs Junior High. They were married at St Catherine of Sienna Church in 1970 and celebrated 51 years of marriage this past July.
Aside from being able to design, build, fix and engineer anything imaginable, Chick loved having fun. He enjoyed dancing with Cheryl whether out on the town or at home in the living room or kitchen. He enjoyed hiking and exploring various state parks with his family. He also enjoyed photography which led to a wedding videography business. He would spend hours choosing the perfect combination of footage and matching it to just the perfect song. He took pride in knowing his work would become part of a family’s cherished memories. Chick was most proud of the time he spent coaching his son, Chad’s, baseball team year after year.
At the end of a work day, daylight permitting, it wasn’t unusual for him and Cheryl to hop in the car and head south where he enjoyed flying his multiple stunt kites on the beach. He loved exploring new restaurants and diners and was known to get up early on a Saturday morning with Cheryl and some friends and drive 4 hours for the perfect pancakes. If he wasn’t driving 4 hours for pancakes, he might be flying to a fly-in diner somewhere to try out a new burger.
As a young boy, he would ride his bike from Woodland heights to the New Castle Airport where he would watch the airplanes come and go and dream of one day being able to fly. In true Chick fashion, he accomplished that dream. Chick’s love for aviation led to a dream come true when he became co/owner and operator of a flight school, Sky Safety. He was also actively involved in the aviation community. He served as six-term president of the Delaware Pilot’s Association (DASI) and was a member of the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame. In 2000, he was a participant in the EAA Flight of Honor. Chick was current chair and a founding member of the Delaware Aviation Advisory Council (DAAC) and in 2019 he was recognized by the Delaware Aviation Hall of Fame for leading the effort to name the Bellanca Cruisair as the official state of Delaware historic airplane.
Chick spent a successful career with the General Motors Corporation. He worked for many years as a skilled tradesman/pipefitter. Known as the “idea man”, he was no stranger to the suggestion box and many of his ideas were successfully implemented. He eventually moved into an office position and retired from GM as a Benefits Representative doing what he loved which was helping others.
In recent years, Chick spent most of his time committed to helping to maintain our basic American freedoms and was passionate about working to preserve the integrity of the United States Constitution. A true patriot, he poured his entire heart and soul into this endeavor and spent a great deal of time researching and sharing what he felt was valuable information. It was his mission to ensure his grandchildren and future generations could grow up to live the way our founding fathers intended. It was no secret to anyone that Chick’s love for his family was larger than life and he was never happier than when everyone was together.
Chick was preceded in death by his mother, Corinne Daley Chinski and his father, Henry C Chinski Sr. He is survived by the love of his life and wife of 55 years, Cheryl Calloway Chinski of Middletown; his daughter, Tracy Chinski Eastburn (David) of Middletown; his son, Chad Chinski of Middletown, as well as his six adoring grandchildren each lovingly nicknamed by him: Morgan Eastburn (SweetPea), Kalli Hale Chinski (Rainbow), Dallen Eastburn (Double D), Jaxson Rendle Chinski (Ace), Nathaniel Hale Chinski (Jet) and Camryn Eastburn (Pupcake). Chick is also survived by his sisters Sharon Chinski Mourar and Pamela Chinski Pantalone, as well as many nieces, nephews and so many other family members and friends whom he loved. To know him was to love him but more importantly to know that you were loved. The hearts of his family are broken, but they find comfort in knowing such a great love from a man who expressed it openly and made it his life’s work to show it.
Family and friends are invited to a visitation on Saturday, January 8th, 2022 beginning at 10am at Doherty Funeral Home, 3200 Limestone Rd., Wilmington, DE 19808. A funeral service will follow at 11am.
For those unable to attend, Chick’s service will be live-streamed, which can be found below. Please be sure to turn off the music for Chick’s obituary page, which can be found right below his photo at the top of the page.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Henry “Chick” Chinski, Jr., please visit our floral store.

Published by Doherty Funeral Homes, Inc. – Pike Creek on Jan. 4, 2022.