Helen Stewart Rivel

PITTSFIELD - Helen Stewart Rivel, 100, formerly of 2 Juliana Drive and Devonshire Estates, died Thursday, August 5th, at Orchard Hill Assisted Living, Sudbury, MA, where she had resided since August 2019, with her son and daughter at her side.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, on May 7, 1921, daughter of George William Stewart and Agnes Drummond, Helen graduated from the historic Erasmus Hall High School in 1938 and the Miss Heffley Secretarial School in 1939. She was employed from 1939 to 1949 at Household Finance Corp., Burroughs Adding Machine Co. and General Chemical Co., all in downtown Brooklyn. From 1921 until 1967, she maintained a summer residence at Sandy Beach, Greenport, NY.

Helen was married to Robert B Rivel on September 11, 1948, in Brooklyn, NY, where they lived until 1960, followed by Westfield and then Saddle River, NJ, Canaan, NY and Pittsfield, MA. Bob died in 2001 at the Vermont Veterans Home in Bennington, VT. Helen volunteered for 60 years, at Children’s Specialized Hospital, Mountainside, NJ (1960-1972), Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, NJ (1972-1985) and Berkshire Medical Center, Pittsfield, MA (1985-2019).

Helen was passionate about golf, in the tradition of her Scottish forbearers, a passion shared by her daughter Joan, to Helen’s constant delight. She hit a hole-in-one in her 86th year, at Turnbull Bay Golf Club, New Smyrna Beach, FL, on March 17, 2007. She played into her 90s, wished she could play even at 100 and had a dynamic network of golfing friends ‘til the end. She was an active member of the Pittsfield Country Club and had also belonged to Echo Lake Country Club, Westfield, NJ, Arcola Country Club, Paramus, NJ, and The Tuxedo Club, Tuxedo Park, NY.

Helen also enjoyed traveling, having visited Europe, the Middle East and especially Scotland, where her grandfather was born in Dundee in 1848. She made several extended trips to Brazil, where her son Wes lived and worked for many years, including to the Amazon, the famous Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro and all over the country.

Helen is survived by her son R. Wesley Rivel of Washington, DC, her daughter Joan R. Pettrone (Mark J.) of Hudson, MA, and six grandchildren - Joe Rivel (Andreia), Jesse R Kichi (Navid), Sarah R Franks (Mark), Kate P Morse (Eric), Ann P Gilmore (Brenden) and Abby P Kellogg (Doug). In addition, she is survived by her 16 great-grandchildren – Luke, Ashley, Daisy, Logan, Juliana, Lauren, Maddie, Piper, Emily, Olivia, Caroline, Sascha, Chase, Sam, John and Chloe. She loved them all, was in regular touch and saw them all in the last few months.

Helen will be laid to rest with her husband at Pittsfield Cemetery this Fall, and please feel free to get in touch with the family via her e-mail [email protected] anytime.