Helene Cogen, z”l, age 85, died Feb. 1 from complications involving kidney disease.

Helene was born in New York, New York, on April 3, 1938, to George and Mildred Josephs. She went to P.S. 5 in Cedarhurst for Elementary and Junior High school and Lawrence High School. She attended Boston University and she later attended Barry University where she got her master’s degree in social work.

She was a loving and caring individual. She met Stephen Cogen, z”l, at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach in 1959 and they were married in 1960. He was in the ROTC, and he got called up for duty soon after they married. They were assigned to Germany, where their first son, Jeff, was born. They spent four years in Germany, which she described as among the hardest and best years of her life.

After Germany they went to New York, where Steve completed his residency and their second son, Mitch, was born. After Steve completed his residency, they moved to Miami Beach, Florida, where Helene spent the next 55 years.

She first became an actress at the Miami Beach Community Theater, where she flourished. Next, she studied social work and became a social worker first as part of the Jewish Family Services in Miami then with the American Red Cross. Finally, she set up her own practice, caring for seniors in Miami.

She retired at 65 and was living and traveling with her husband Steve until his passing 11 years ago. She moved to Portland 6 years ago. She is survived by her two sons, Jeff and Mitch and her grandchildren, Johanna, Alana, Alex and Abrielle.

A memorial service was held Thursday, Feb. 8, at Congregation Neveh Shalom.