A graveside service was held Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013 in the Temple Israel Cemetery in Gotha, Fla., for Edith R. Helman (nee Zak), who died Jan. 1, 2013. Arrangements were by Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel.
Edith (Edie) Ruth Helman was born Nov. 3, 1926, in Lodz, Poland. When very young, she and her family moved to Havana, Cuba, where her father, Aharon Zak, died of blood poisoning. Her mother, Tilya, moved the family to Minneapolis, Minn. She graduated from the University of Minnesota summa cum laude, and two years later received her master’s degree in physiological chemistry. She married Emil Helman the day after graduation. For 13 years after graduation, Edie was a stay-at-home mother with part-time jobs teaching Hebrew school and writing medical abstracts. This period ended with her divorce; afterwards Edie worked at the VA laboratory as quality control manager and at Beckman Instruments.
Edie started her own business, Scientific Newsletters, in Anaheim, Calif., in 1974. The business expanded steadily with the purchase of Alba’s Medical Technology Review Books. Though Helman retired successfully from business within 11 years after starting Scientific Newsletters, she continued to publish the Alba Medical Technology Review Books for 12 years after retirement.
Helman spent the majority of her later years at Martin’s Run Senior Community in Media, Penn. There she started the Martin’s Run University, a lecture series drawn from Philadelphia’s academic community. She also developed a high level of skill in painting, producing lovely pieces with mostly Jewish themes. Her work has been shown at the Tyme and Carol Schwarz Gallery.
Helman leaves her daughter, Dr. Terri Finkel of Orlando, Fla.; her son, Dr. David Helman of Silverton, Ore.; and five grandchildren, Valerie Finkel and Sam Helman, both of New York City, Paul Finkel of Pittsburgh, Penn., Talia Helman of Corvallis, Ore., and Rachel Helman, of Silverton. Helman is also survived by her beloved brother, Dr. Solomon Zak of St. Louis Park, Minn. She is preceded in death by her eldest brother, Morris Zak of Minneapolis, Minn.
