Mitchell Cohen
Helene Dorcia Svirsky was born on June 11, 1942 in Kingston, NY to Adeline and Herman “Huck” Svirsky. She was raised primarily in Kingston and Ulster Park, NY where the family owned Svirsky’s Esopus Lake Hotel. Helene was joined by her sister Harriet who was born in 1948. Along with their cousins, Judy and Stuart Svirsky, they lived as one big family while the adults ran the hotel. The hotel industry in the Catskills began to wane in the mid ‘50s and the family opened a drug store in uptown Kingston.
Helene was a congregant of Temple Emanuel in Kingston, NY during her adolescence and was very involved in NFTY, as well as other synagogue groups. She graduated from Kingston High School in 1960 and enrolled in Boston University. Soon after graduating from college, Helene married Errol Wagner in 1964 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
Helene moved to California shortly after marrying Errol and made Los Angeles her home.
After the marriage to Errol ended, Helene focused on her burgeoning career in retail. She embarked on a very successful path working for many retailers including Zody’s, McCrory’s, and Fallas. Helene’s work as a retail executive took her to many different places and allowed her to form relationships that would last a lifetime.
She had a love for travel and would always say that it was her passion. Helene traveled often with her sister Harriet, her longtime partner Dale Beckett, as well as many friends. She was a consummate reader and also enjoyed concerts, plays, films and good restaurants. But perhaps most of all, Helene loved to shop! She was always looking for a bargain and her closet typically had many outfits that still had tags on them. Her go to brand was Eileen Fisher.
Helene was also extremely generous with her time. She volunteered for worthy causes and was devoted to helping those less fortunate. Her work with Children of the Night in Hollywood, Sojourn, and Wounded Warriors, are just a few examples of Helene’s contributions as a volunteer.
Most importantly, Helene loved her family. Her relationship with her sister Harriet was extremely close, as was her bond with cousins Judy and Stuart. Although she did not have children of her own, over time, Helene became somewhat of a matriarch of her family. She formed close relationships with second cousins Mitchell, Jon, Wendy, and Michele. Mitchell’s children Samantha and Alexandra had a very special attachment to their Aunt Helene, as they along with Mitchell were her only California relatives. She was very much like a grandmother to them and when Samantha had her own children, Riley and Stella, Helene was beyond thrilled with her new role.
Helene moved to Highgate Senior Living in September 2022. She quickly made many friends and in a very short period of time became involved in her new community. Although her time there was brief, she left her mark and will be missed by many. Helene was looking forward to traveling back to Vermont with the family to celebrate Mitchell’s marriage to his wife Maria, with whom she had developed a close relationship. However, just before the trip, she broke her femur, which required surgery. She passed away during surgery on April 25, 2023 in Temecula, CA.
Helene was a congregant of Temple Emanuel in Kingston, NY during her adolescence and was very involved in NFTY, as well as other synagogue groups. She graduated from Kingston High School in 1960 and enrolled in Boston University. Soon after graduating from college, Helene married Errol Wagner in 1964 at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
Helene moved to California shortly after marrying Errol and made Los Angeles her home.
After the marriage to Errol ended, Helene focused on her burgeoning career in retail. She embarked on a very successful path working for many retailers including Zody’s, McCrory’s, and Fallas. Helene’s work as a retail executive took her to many different places and allowed her to form relationships that would last a lifetime.
She had a love for travel and would always say that it was her passion. Helene traveled often with her sister Harriet, her longtime partner Dale Beckett, as well as many friends. She was a consummate reader and also enjoyed concerts, plays, films and good restaurants. But perhaps most of all, Helene loved to shop! She was always looking for a bargain and her closet typically had many outfits that still had tags on them. Her go to brand was Eileen Fisher.
Helene was also extremely generous with her time. She volunteered for worthy causes and was devoted to helping those less fortunate. Her work with Children of the Night in Hollywood, Sojourn, and Wounded Warriors, are just a few examples of Helene’s contributions as a volunteer.
Most importantly, Helene loved her family. Her relationship with her sister Harriet was extremely close, as was her bond with cousins Judy and Stuart. Although she did not have children of her own, over time, Helene became somewhat of a matriarch of her family. She formed close relationships with second cousins Mitchell, Jon, Wendy, and Michele. Mitchell’s children Samantha and Alexandra had a very special attachment to their Aunt Helene, as they along with Mitchell were her only California relatives. She was very much like a grandmother to them and when Samantha had her own children, Riley and Stella, Helene was beyond thrilled with her new role.
Helene moved to Highgate Senior Living in September 2022. She quickly made many friends and in a very short period of time became involved in her new community. Although her time there was brief, she left her mark and will be missed by many. Helene was looking forward to traveling back to Vermont with the family to celebrate Mitchell’s marriage to his wife Maria, with whom she had developed a close relationship. However, just before the trip, she broke her femur, which required surgery. She passed away during surgery on April 25, 2023 in Temecula, CA.
