Helene Levine, 94, devoted opera lover

Helene Levine, 94, s resident of Riverdale for more than 60 years, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 20, 2022, at the Waltham, Massachusetts home of her daughter, Pam Levine.

All who knew her were struck by her warmth, kindness and dry sense of humor. She was an avid opera connoisseur who traveled to the Metropolitan Opera house for performances, and to the Lower East Side to take opera history classes. She also enjoyed the theatre, ballet and art museums.

She was born Oct. 16, 1927, in New York City. After attending City College, she worked for many years as a controller in the Garment Center in Manhattan until her retirement. After that, for several years, Helene volunteered at the Allen Pavilion at the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan.

Helene loved to travel and spend time with Pam, taking many trips together to China, the Caribbean, and Europe. She also loved to visit Pam in Waltham for months at a time, and was beloved by all of Pam’s friends.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Howard, her sister Mildred, and her brother, Jerome.

In addition to her daughter, she is survived by nieces and nephews, Robert and Susan Gershin, Tina and Alan Kalisher, and Nancy and Louis Tognan. She will be forever missed by her family, relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held at the Riverside Memorial Chapel, 180 W. 76th St., in Manhattan, on March 24.

Condolences may be sent to her daughter, Pam Levine, 45 Casey Circle, Waltham, MA, 02451.

Donations may be made in her memory to The Simon Wiesenthal Center at Wiesenthal.com, or The Alzheimer’s Foundation at Alz.org.