Henry Plaster (1928-2022)
Henry Plaster Sep 2013
Henry Garnett Plaster, Jr., 93, of Bluemont, Virginia, passed away peacefully on March 21, 2022. Henry was born July 26, 1928, to Henry Garnett Plaster, Sr., and Jerusha Lohman Plaster in Washington, DC. After graduating from St. Albans School in 1946, he went on to receive a B.S. in Physics at Duke University in 1950 and was part of the NROTC program. He received a master’s degree in Engineering Administration from George Washington University in 1961.
Following his graduation from college, he began active duty in the United States Navy. He served in the Korean War and received a battle star in 1953. He resigned his commission in June 1953 and subsequently retired as a Lieutenant, USNR.
Henry was hired by the Central Intelligence Agency in 1954 and while his work at the agency was classified, he played a major role in a variety of CIA efforts including the CORONA and HEXAGON satellite programs. After serving his country for more than 43 years at the CIA, he retired in 1993 as the Cold War ended. He was awarded the Intelligence Medal of Merit in 1971 and the CIA Career Intelligence Medal.
After his retirement, he left Bethesda, Maryland, and moved to his family farm Glenmeade in Bluemont, Virginia. Henry and his wife Anne became very involved in their local community. He was the longtime Chairman of the Snickersville Turnpike Association and a very active member of the Bluemont Citizens Association. He was also involved in preserving local Civil War history.
Henry was predeceased by his parents, his wife Anne Austin Plaster, and his daughter Elizabeth Plaster, and is survived by Henry (Christi) Plaster III, William (Amy) Plaster, Anne Plaster (Jeff) Schroeder, and four grandchildren George Plaster, Elie Plaster, Henry Plaster IV, and Austin Plaster.
The funeral service will be held on April 2, 2022, at 11:00 am at Bluemont United Methodist Church, 33843 Snickersville Turnpike, Bluemont, Virginia. He will be buried in his family plot alongside his wife Anne at the historic Ebenezer Cemetery near Bluemont.