Former Newsday sports editor Bob Henn, 69

Prince Edward Island.

That's one of the first things that friends said came to mind when they were asked to describe Robert "Bob" Henn.

In retirement, he and his wife divided their year between North Carolina and the tiny island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada.

Henn, 69, a former deputy sports editor at Newsday, died of liver cancer Saturday at his Havelock, N.C., home while surrounded by family.

Henn started his career as a copy boy at the Daily News and worked his way up to sports editor during his 23 years there, said his son Chris, of Danbury, Conn.

After the Daily News, Henn worked at Newsday on Long Island for nearly 20 years until his retirement in 2002. The family lived in Setauket.

Afterward, he and his wife, Pat, would spend six months in Havelock and six months in Prince Edward Island.

Robert Keane, a former managing editor at Newsday, met Henn at the Daily News when they were both starting out in the business.

Keane, of Massapequa, described Henn as "a good editor, a good man and a better friend."

Friends recall Henn as a man who always had a smile on his face, loved his job, loved his family and adored Prince Edward Island.

"If a person could hug an island, he would do it," said Keane.

Colleagues described Henn as a man who was dependable and well-liked, and had an affable personality in a business rife with cynics.

Steve Ruinsky, of Raleigh, N.C., who worked with Henn in the sports department at Newsday, called Henn's upbeat personality memorable.

"Newspaper people can be pretty cynical, and I think he was generally less so than most," said Ruinsky. "He really liked the business."

Ed McNamara, an editor in Newsday's sports department, agreed with Ruinsky and Keane.

"He had one of the most ingratiating personalities of anybody in the business," McNamara said. "I never saw him lose his temper."

His son Chris described Henn as a great father who had a diverse background and worked long hours but always managed to spend quality time with his family. He loved golfing, ice-skating and working on his yard. He also put his sons' needs before his own.

For example, when he first got his job at Newsday in 1985, the family lived in East Brunswick, N.J. At the time, Chris was still in high school, but Henn decided to commute 2 1/2 hours to work each day until his son graduated so he could finish his studies there.

"To me, that was a huge sacrifice for him to do that," said Chris, now 43.

And even though Henn loved his job, he discouraged his son to follow his footsteps.

"He said 'You could make more money, and you'll work crazy hours,' " Chris said with a chuckle.

In addition to his wife and son, Henn is survived by another son, Scott of Darien, Ill., and grandchildren Ryan, Aidan, Alexis and Andy.

Viewing is set for Thursday from 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Williams Funeral Home, 5628 Broadway, Bronx. A funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday at 10:45 a.m. at St. John's Roman Catholic Church, 3021 Kingsbridge Ave., Bronx.