Edna S. Helfer was born in New York City on August 13, 1928, the first-born daughter of Esther and Joseph Shevack, immigrants from Russia/Poland. Almost five years later, Edna became big sister to Eileen. Edna graduated from Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx in 1945, attended college for two years, went to secretarial school, and went to “business” before having children.
How did a girl from the Bronx meet someone from Brooklyn? One summer weekend in 1947, Edna went to the Catskill Mountains to visit her parents who were vacationing there. She met a handsome former sailor, Wally Helfer, who was also visiting his parents. She was an hour late for their first date in Manhattan because of a fire that halted subway service, but Wally waited! They married on June 20, 1948, and were married for 64 years before Wally’s death in 2012. After raising their family in the Bronx, Edna and Wally moved to Bayside, Queens, and then to Delray Beach, Florida in 2001.
Wherever she went Edna made friends! Her core group of friends from the time she was 8 years old remained intact throughout her life. She was the last surviving member. Their children were like nieces and nephews.
Edna was a very sociable person. She loved working a room. She enjoyed her job at the Public Administrators’ Office in Bronx County for 25 years, and she treated the cases as if the clients were her friends. After Wally passed away in 2012, she would go to Atlanta for High Holiday services, and she became a valued member of the Ahavath Achim congregation.She was a life-long Hadassah member, serving as president of IMA Hadassah in Huntington Pointe for many years. She enjoyed the Social Club, the Culture Club, playing mah jongg and canasta and going out to dinner prior to the restrictions of Covid putting a halt to her social life. Fortunately, she had many family members in the area, even if she had to meet them in the parking lot! She adapted – She learned how to use Zoom on her computer, joined AA Sisterhood’s Book Group and attended services for the holidays from her home. She kept up with her friends by telephone – phone numbers she had memorized to keep her mind alert. Netflix, Prime Video, the Game Network, Jeopardy were all part of her routine with her beloved care-givers Lavern Chin and Marlene Anderson. Needlepoint, knitting, embroidery – she did it all. New babies received hand-made presents. Falls in 2021 and 2022 demonstrated her true fortitude and strength of character. We compared her to the Energizer Bunny.
This year the effects of COPD proved too much for her lungs, and she passed away peacefully surrounded by family on June 1, 2024.
Edna was predeceased by her parents, her husband, her sister Eileen and brother-in-law Leonard Adler. She is survived by daughters Donna (Philip) Newman and Linda (Jan) Geller, grandchildren Craig (Mandy) Newman, Elissa Newman, Adam (Alexis) Geller and Amanda (Greg) Rosenfeld, great granddaughters Sophia, Olivia and Julia Geller, Sydney Rosenfeld and Audrey Newman, nephews Barry Adler and Howard (Sara) Adler and first cousin Barry (Judy) Shivak.
The chorus of a song that was popular many years ago describes our mother: I get knocked down, but I get up again. They are never going to keep me down! How true!
Here’s to you Mom! May you continue to be an inspiration to us all as we try to adjust to life without you.
Burial at Beth Moses Cemetery, Farmingdale, NY on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 10 AM.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.11.0