
Everyone has, at some point in life, lost something of worth — whether it is that irreplaceable piece of jewelry or a beloved tool that was never returned by a pesky neighbor. When it is a person one loses, however, the resulting emotion is devastating. Losing a loved one twice is, well, unimaginable. That is exactly what happened earlier this year when an unknown patron of OB Suds left behind a heavy metal box labeled “Henry Lefebvre: April 30, 1995” from Secure Crematorium in one of the carwash’s bays. After OB Suds owner Frank Greene discovered the box six months ago, he held onto it, thinking someone would return to claim it. When that didn’t happen, he turned the box over to the Ocean Beach MainStreet Association (OBMA) to help solve the mystery. “We put the word out and we were overwhelmed with the press from all over. Within 18 hours, people were reading about Henry all over the country,” said Denny Knox, executive director of OBMA. “It’s amazing how fast the story spreads.” After Lefebvre’s story broke on Oct. 22 on OBMA’s Facebook page, the community business organization received a number of calls and emails from genealogy buffs who offered to help track down Lefebvre’s relatives. “A niece in Australia was contacted by a number of individuals, who graciously researched this for us, emailed me and managed to find another relative in Douglas, Ariz., who contacted another relative in California,” said Knox. “Gary Lefebvre said he will be here in two weeks and will pick up Henry’s ashes from us.” Although the mystery remains as to who left the box at OB Suds, Lefebvre will soon be reunited with loved ones, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the OBMA and others around the nation who contributed to tracking the genealogy of Henry Lefebvre.








