Unsung Hero: Henry C. Mack fighting for his Canton neighborhood

CANTON – Henry C. Mack has lived a storied life.

As the 83-year-old lifelong Canton resident told it — while sitting in a living room decorated with family photos and international artwork — he's always sought to improve his northeast neighborhood. Mack built his modest Fourth Street NE house with a local contractor 60 years ago, and it became a gathering place for holidays or summer picnics.

"I fed the whole neighborhood with walleye," he said about the catch from family camping and fishing trips.

If area residents needed help, they went to Mack. They still do.

"He's just done so much for this community," said his son, C. Mack, who nominated his father for one of The Canton Repository's 2021 Unsung Hero awards.

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Criminal activity and pollution from nearby factories are among the issues that have led the elder Mack to contact city officials and attend community meetings. At age 22, he led the neighborhood association that would become Affairs of the Community "because nobody else wanted to be the president."

Mack said he's most proud of his involvement in pressuring the city to keep a fire station in Ward 4. A station was built in 1997 at Belden Avenue and Fourth Street SE to replace one that closed at Third Street and Monroe Avenue NE.

When the area had a rash of break-ins, neighbors installed outdoor lights and kept watch for anything suspicious. Mack would walk the neighborhood monthly, once helped someone repair their kitchen and still cuts grass at a vacant property.

Community members' willingness to work together is "what made us special," he said.

Mack's sister Dorthea Bridgest, who now lives in Texas, recalled being at his house when neighbors dropped by with one thing or another for Mack to address. He also was the first person she knew to start a community garden in the 1960s.

"He's always been a community person," she said.

Bridgest also described her brother as an innovative and "God-fearing man" who loves to make people laugh and will speak out for what's right. Much of that sense of public duty comes from their family and upbringing, she said.

Guy Mack, their uncle, was one of Canton's first Black detectives. He was fatally shot when he attempted to stop a robbery while shopping with his wife off duty.

Their mother, Helen, was the first director of Head Start in Stark County.

"She just inspired me because she would read and research," Mack said.

Mack and his late wife, Vivian, had four children who provided him with several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The family encouraged travel and hosted an exchange student in the late 1970s from South Africa with whom they remain close today.

Trips to South Africa and Canada inspired Mack's home solar system, which he built about 30 years ago after retiring from the Canton Malleable Iron Company. His roof is full of solar panels, which have primarily powered his furnace, but Mack said it's become difficult for him to stay up to date with changing solar regulations.

In October, the We Are Troubled On Every Side (WATOES) outreach organization awarded Mack its Hidden Diamond Community Service Award for his efforts to improve the neighborhood.

Executive Director Katherine Baylock, who lives in the same area and was a founding member of the neighborhood association, said Mack regularly goes "above and beyond" to help his community be a place of pride.

"His position in that neighborhood was one of most high esteem because Henry lived there longer than I did, and he knew of different needs that the neighborhood needed," she said.

Unsung Heroes

The Canton Repository is celebrating "Unsung Heroes” this week as part of our Moving Our Community Forward and Clayton G. Horn Award of Excellence program. They are regular Stark County residents who give selflessly in the community and deserve recognition for their efforts.

The Repository sought nominations from our readers. Four different individuals are being highlighted this year.

These aren't the only people doing good within Stark County. If you are aware of others who deserve to be celebrated, send an email to [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Henry C. Mack lives a life of community service in Canton