Helen S Matlin

Helen was born August 16th, 1924, in Brooklyn, NY to Nettie and Max Schneider. During her teenage years she gained a life-long love for dance when she studied modern dance with Martha Graham in Manhattan. Helen graduated from Tilden High School where she met her husband, Milton Matlin. They went on to graduate from Brooklyn College. During one summer in college, Helen worked on a fruit and vegetable farm in Red Hook, NY. She returned to Brooklyn wearing her blue jean work clothes, and later would go on to say that she started the trend of wearing blue jeans in the city. Helen completed a year of her Master’s degree in dance at NYU, before marrying Milton in 1947 and moving to Chicago. During this time Helen worked at the Chicago Board of Health testing the city’s drinking water. They returned to New York, where Milton established a family medicine practice in Syosset and they started a family. In 1961, the family moved to Woodbury, NY. In Woodbury, Helen enjoyed playing bridge and participating in rotating dinner parties with her friends, that they whimsically called the Gourmet Club. She continued her interest in theater and dance, attending performances in New York City and on Long Island. Her favorite color was green, stating that it was “good for the eyes” as evidenced by the ubiquitousness of the color in nature. To surround herself with greenery, Helen loved going to arboretums and parks and often visited Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park in Oyster Bay and Caumsett State Park in Lloyd Harbor. She also enjoyed going to Tobay Beach and Center Island beach to relax with a book and spend time with friends. Not one to be idle, Helen developed a strong interest in the Spanish language, food and culture. She read widely on these topics (in Spanish) and joined a Spanish club. Helen also made several trips to Mexico and Spain including an extended stay in Santander, Spain to take classes on Spanish history and literature at the university. After her children left the house, Helen obtained a Master’s degree in Library Science from C.W. Post College and embarked on a career as a medical librarian at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip. She remained in Woodbury until 2002, when she moved to Harrisburg, PA to be near her daughter, Emily. Helen’s keys to a long and happy life were dance, exercise, vitamin C, and ice cream.

Helen is survived by her daughter, Dr. Emily Matlin, son Albert Matlin, daughter-in-law Connie Matlin, granddaughter Anastasia Matlin, and sister-in-law Thelma Schneider as well as several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Dr. Milton Matlin, her brother Dr. Monroe Schneider and her sister Beverly Weissman. Her brother Dr. Lawrence Schneider passed away shortly after Helen’s death.

A memorial is being planned for August to coincide with Helen’s 100th birthday.