Helen May (Lebowitz) Berman

Helen May Lebowitz Berman, passed away peacefully, at home, on November 6, 2024. She was born on September 4, 1925, in McKeesport Hospital, and is the daughter of the late Rose and Benjamin Lebowitz. Upon graduation from Glassport High School in 1943, she received a Senatorial scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Commercial Education, where she earned a bachelor's degree. Her academic excellence was rewarded by her acceptance into the honor sorority of Commercial Education. During her freshman year at Pitt, she and some of her classmates joined a Jewish youth group where she met her future husband, Don Berman. They had been married for 75 years. 

Helen soon determined that teaching was not her first choice as a career, so she obtained a job as a secretary in the Human Resources Department at Spears, a Pittsburgh department store. After spending a year in that position, she was urged by friends to apply for a job in the Research Department of the United Steelworkers of America, which she made her life’s career.

In her retirement years, Helen took a job at Travelwares in Sewickley, where she built many friendships and memories. She supported artistic and civic organizations, with frequent trips to City

Theatre, Public Theatre, Pittsburgh Symphony and Opera, and several lecture series. She was a member of the Sewickley Music Club, Edgeworth Garden Club and worked with Don every year at the Pittsburgh Aids Task Force in conjunction with The Sewickley Garden Tour.

Helen was a wonderful cook and baker. She loved to entertain. Playing tennis and traveling were also some of her favorite activities. Her list of friends is endless, as she loved getting to know people and fostering relationships.

Helen is survived by her two children, Beth and Paul (Jane); four grandchildren, Patrick (Marie), Andy (Ashley), Seth (Theresa), and Molly (Harris); nine great grandchildren, Faith, Aiden, Cameron, Axel, Ainsley, Liam, Bennett, Alanna, Raffi, and one on the way. She was preceded in death by her husband, Don.

Our sincere thanks to At Home Senior Services for the wonderful care/caregivers they provided for Helen and Don, and to Gallagher Hospice for their services during such a difficult time.

A private service will be held in the coming days. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the John Syka Funeral Home in Ambridge, PA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Helen’s name to: Gallagher Hospice, 1370 Washington Pike, Suite 401B, Bridgeville, PA 15071, https://gallagherhospice.com, and to: Union Aid Society – Sewickley, 601 Thorn Street, Sewickley, PA 15143, https://www.unionaidsociety.net

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