Saul Joseph Helfenbein

Saul passed away peacefully on February 4, 2026, at the age of 84 following heart surgery at MEDSTAR Washington Hospital Center.

Saul was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, earning a BA in English Literature at Brooklyn College and went on to earn a MA in English Literature at Indiana University and later in his career, a MPH at the University of Hawaii.

He began his international career when he joined the Peace Corps in 1965 and served in Afghanistan for over three years. He stepped into an experience that shaped his future. What he found working there – its people, its landscapes, its contradictions- became a defining chapter of his life.

His career spanned more than four decades and took him around the globe. Following his Peace Corps service, he began his international career working with CARE, initially in Afghanistan and then in other countries in Asia and Africa. After leaving CARE in 1972 he worked for several international organisations as he transitioned to a range of technical areas including Mother and Child Health Care, Primary Health Care training and management, family planning and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, and management and governance.

While at Management Sciences for Health (MSH), Saul led global efforts to strengthen management, research, and leadership capacity. He taught in many of their Management Training courses, authored a range of technical documents, and served as Director of the FASIC course on designing and implementing HIV/AIDS projects for twelve years.

A highlight of Saul’s later career was his collaboration with Nagasaki University in Japan on the establishment of their School for Tropical Medicine and Global Health. Serving as a professor in 2006-2007, he continued his teaching affiliation with the University until 2024. In addition to his teaching at Nagasaki University, he also taught at Harvard University and Boston University Schools of Public Health.

Saul enjoyed his life abroad and at home. His personal and professional travels took him to many countries in West Africa, East Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Japan. Fluent in French, he especially enjoyed France and bought and renovated a cottage in the Dordogne region to which he invited friends to join him in relishing the countryside, food and wine.

A delightful raconteur, Saul was a passionate reader, loved music, was an avid opera fan, appreciated different cuisines, was a firm believer in mass transit (he did not own a car) and until his health declined a few months before his passing, enjoyed walking throughout Bethesda and Washington. A wonderful friend with a twinkle in his eye, he will be mourned by friends around the world and family in Texas, New York, and Israel.

A Memorial Service – a celebration of Saul’s extraordinary life – will be held at Congregation Beth El (8215 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814) on Monday, March 23, 2026, from 10:00am-1:00pm EST.