Henry J. Horney, 80, a longtime owner of neighborhood discount stores who also helped found a school for children with developmental disabilities, died Sunday, Jan. 28, of a heart attack in his Dolton home. For nearly 50 years, he ran Horney’s Dime Store, which evolved into the Dolton Value Village before closing in 1989. After his daughter was born with Down syndrome, Mr. Horney in 1960 helped establish New Hope School, now New Hope Center, which has grown to serve nearly 600 adults and senior citizens with special needs. “He was very businesslike, but when it came to family, he could be soft,” said his son Ned. The Monmouth, Ill., native worked as a manager at a Woolworth’s store before serving as a bombardier with the U.S. Army Air Forces in Europe during World War II. After the war, Mr. Horney returned to his job at Woolworth’s before opening the first Horney’s Dime Store in the early 1950s. Over the years he opened five other stores where neighborhood residents flocked to buy anything from shovels to penny candies. “People always said anything you couldn’t find anyplace else you could find at Horney’s,” said his wife of 54 years, Marion. In 1964, Mr. Horney expanded the business, which became the Dolton Value Village. It grew to include eight stores before they closed in 1989 and Mr. Horney began renting the space to other shops. Mr. Horney continued to work, managing the property on the sites and doing odd jobs to keep it in shape. “He worked everyday of his life doing something–repairing roofs, painting,” his son said. “He had a love of life and he had a love of just getting things done.” In addition to his wife and son, Mr. Horney is survived by five other sons, Jim, Tom, Ray, Gene and Paul; two daughters, Carol Kaufmann and Penny Sue Horney; a brother, Everett; a sister, Edith Newman; and nine grandchildren. Visitation will be from 2 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in Drumm Funeral Home, 1200 E. 162nd St., South Holland. Services for Mr. Horney will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in the funeral home.
