Helene E. Beck, 100 of Lititz, passed away on Wednesday, September 21, 2022.
Born in Elizabethtown, she was the daughter of Cora (Brouse) and Joseph Eckinger Sr. She is survived by her husband, Donald Beck also of Lititz, her sister, Romaine Shaud of California, a daughter, Judy Beck Lobos wife of Leon Lobos of Millersville, and a grandson, Andrew Lobos of Pittsburgh. Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother Joseph Eckinger Jr.
While in high school Helene worked as a telephone switchboard operator and loved playing tennis, picking up a tennis racket every chance she could. She went on to graduate from Lancaster General Hospital School of Nursing in 1947. She worked as a registered nurse in the Lancaster and Philadelphia areas. For a time she worked as a visiting nurse and was known for checking on her patients more than scheduled times just to be sure they were doing well. While studying nursing Helene met her future husband, Donald Beck, a student at Franklin and Marshall College. Donald was in the hospital having his tonsils removed and as fate would have it, Helene was his nurse. Their future sister-in-law, Fay Beck, also a nurse, encouraged them to get together. They married on October 3rd, 1948 and this year would have celebrated 74 years of a wonderful marriage.
A devoted and loving wife, mother, and grandmother, Helene always used the good china and enjoyed entertaining family and friends. She was a wonderful baker and gourmet cook who enjoyed experimenting with new recipes and an accomplished seamstress who sewed many of her own clothes. She enjoyed classical music, was a Girl Scout leader, a Sunday school teacher, and as a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lancaster, she volunteered in the church office and with the children’s choir. Helene led the way in finding ways to help local families in need and raised money for student scholarships when she served as president of the Millersville Woman’s Club. She was creative, kind, firm in her convictions,and had a zest for life.
Helene loved flowers. She and husband, Donald, owned and operated Wissler’s Flower Shop for 15 years beginning in 1974, providing fresh flowers for all occasions. Retirement brought the freedom of travel, gardening, staying fit, and more time to spend with family – especially her grandson, Andrew, who she cherished.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend a graveside service at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery on Wednesday, September 28 at 1:30PM with the Rev. Timothy Mentzer officiating.
Cremation Services of Lancaster 717-CREMATE