Genrikh N. Chmel, 86, passed away on 13 October 2019 at Pruitt Health Nursing Home in High Point, NC.  He was born on 7 July 1933 in Ukraine to Anna and Nikolai Chmel and is predeceased by his wife Tamara V. Chmel, who passed away on 27 April 2005.

Genrikh and Tamara were married for 51 years and had one daughter together, Larisa (Oktyabrsky) Slark residing with her husband Philip Slark in Apex, NC.  Genrikh has one grandson Alex Oktyabrsky residing with his wife Courtney and their two kids, Kaitlyn and Nik in Wake Forest, NC.

Mr. Chmel graduated with high honors from the law school at Moscow Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) in 1956 and worked in border protection and customs department of USSR government for more than 50 years, reaching the highest rank of general in border protection and customs force, participating in writing the legislature on border protection and text books for students. He taught classes on border protection and customs law at MGIMO and at the training courses for practicing customs officers in the Soviet Union.

Genrikh was a talented musician, graduating from the school of music and playing piano and accordion. He was a devoted member of an office band while working at the Russian embassy in Germany in the early 1980's, participating in the various festivities held for embassy employees and their families.

Genrikh was a strong athlete in his school and college years, successfully playing for basketball and volleyball teams.

Mr. Chmel was a loving and caring family man, a friend for life for many of his school and college mates, always ready to come to the rescue. He was known as a great host of the parties that he and his wife Tamara liked to hold at their homes in Tallinn, Estonia and in Moscow, Russia. Genrikh was "a joker and a talker" and a real crowd pleaser.

He loved reading, especially the mystery stories and spent a few years in his late 70s to write the memoir and share his life and work experience.

Genrikh liked driving and crossed the vast parts of USSR behind the wheel of his personal car. He moved to USA to join his only daughter in 2006 and enjoyed trips to the beach, to the mountains and to Washington, DC.

Professional duties took Mr. Chmel all around the globe on the short business trips and on the long term assignments, including work in Burma in the early 1960s. During his travels Genrikh started the hobby of collecting keychains that he maintained for the rest of his life bringing the number of items in his spectacular collection to several hundred that he lovingly put on display in his room when living with the family of his daughter in North Carolina.

Genrikh loved spending time with his great grandkids and enjoyed family and friends gatherings as well as local events such as Octoberfest, Raleigh Christmas parade and State Fair.  He was an animal lover, raising a German shepherd in his teens and giving love to the pets (cats and dogs) in his family and later in the families of his daughter and grandson.