Helen Shacket

HELEN GELFOND SHACKET PASSED AWAY JULY 20, 2016, JUST SHY OF HER 89 TH BIRTHDAY. SHE WAS BORN ON AUGUST 14, 1927 TO SAM AND FANNIE GELFOND IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. SHE WAS THE SECOND CHILD OF FOUR. HER PASSION THROUGHOUT HER LIFE WAS HER FAMILY, JUDIASM, AND HER LOVE OF BINGO AND ONE-ARMED BANDITS. HELEN ALSO LIKED TO DANCE, AND JUST LIKE HER SISTER ESTHER, SHE MET HER MAN AT A U.S.O. AND HAD HIM ON HER HOOKAFTER A FEW DANCES. AT THE AGE OF NINETEEN, HELEN MARRIED MILTON SHACKET IN DECEMBER OF 1945 AND IN 1955 THEY ADOPTED A BABY BOY THEY NAMED DAVID. HELEN SAW A LOT OF WORLD BEING THE WIFE OF A THIRTY YEAR AIR FORCE VETERAN, LIVING IN SEVERAL CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, AS WELL AS, ENGLAND AND ITALY. AFTER MILTON'S RETIREMENT FROM THE AIR FORCE, THEY WORKED TOGETHER AND MANAGED A MEN'S CLOTHING STORE IN PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS. WHILE THERE, HELEN SERVED AS SISTERHOOD PRESIDENT FOR TEMPLE RODEF SHALOM. FROM PORT ARTHUR THEY MOVED TO HOUSTON TO BE WITH OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS ALREADY RESIDING THERE. HELEN WAS A BINGO QUEEN, OFTEN PLAYING AT THE V.F.W. AND HANDLING MORE THAN SIXTY CARDS FOR ANY ONE GAME. SHE ALWAYS WON, OR AT LEAST SAID SHE DID, BUT THEN MOST OF HER FRIENDS VOUCHED FOR HER LUCK. SHE ALWAYS HAD A WARM SMILE, A QUICK SENSE OF HUMOR, AND A BIT OF "MISCHIEF IN HER EYE". HELEN WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HER PARENTS, SAM AND FANNIE GELFOND, HER HUSBAND MILTON, HER SON DAVID, HER TWO SISTERS MARY AND ESTHER, AND HER BROTHER ISRAEL. SHE IS SURVIVED BY HER BROTHER-IN- LAW AL LEVINE, HER SISTER-IN- LAW JOAN GELFOND, HER NEPHEW MEL LEVINE, HER NIECES PAULETTE LEVINE AND CLARA ERNST, HER GRAND NEPHEWS AND NIECES ANDREW, DEREK, CORINNA, ELLEN, AND PATRIC ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER NIECES AND NEPHEWS FROM MILTON'S AND JOAN'S FAMILY NOTABLY SHELDON, ALICE, GABBY, ISAAC, BOBBY, AND JULIE. AND FINALLY, HER BEST FRIEND, MARILYN CORN. HONORARY PALL BEARERS WILL BE AL, MEL, ANDREW, AND DEREK LEVINE, MICHAEL AND RICHARD WOLF, ALAN ERNST AND ANDY MACKLIN. A HEARTFELT THANK YOU GOES OUT TO ALL OF HER CAREGIVERS AT WEST BRAE, SEVEN ACRES, MEMORIAL HERMANN HOSPITAL SOUTHWEST, AND VITAS HOSPICE HEALTHCARE. IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, DONATIONS IN HELEN'S NAME MAY BE MADE TO THE GOOD WORKS FUND OF RABBI ROY WALTER AT CONGREGATION EMANU EL IN HOUSTON, TEXAS AT 1500 SUNSET BOULEVARD, 77005.

Helen Shacket

August 14, 1927 - July 20, 2016