Love, Helen
Please share stories and memories of Helen, of her love of hiking, yoga, her friends and her loves, passions and interests in her beautiful life; and, of course, of her work in the libraries in Cambridge and Arlington, her work with thousands of children in the communities she served so happily and with so much joy.
helen kreisler photography 
Helen, your passing is truly a tragedy. Thank you so much for your never-ending smile when we came into the library and your always knowing exactly what books to recommend to my avid reader daughters! Thank you for always being so kind and helpful and so in tune with our kids! You will be greatly missed but your enthusiasm and love for reading and learning will live on in us all of us who were so fortunate to have known you…
Lauren said this on November 15, 2010 at 6:04 pm
May the Lord offer you the highest place in heaven. Amen.
You have made our children happy when they are around you. It takes special person who can be angage with varieties of children, but you are an acceptional one.
We hope your family will find comford knowing that you have made a different on young generations. God bless.
Theresa Kearney grd 4 said this on November 15, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Helen was so sweet to us always; helpful and so kind.
We will miss her lovely personality as we come in to
take out our next Harry Potter book, or need help in
finding the next in the series of Little House on the
Prairie.
She was always so willing to help us find whatever we
were looking for, with a charming smile and such a gentle
nature.
With warmest memories,
Dana + Venice (10 years old)
Dana Mountain-Zona said this on November 15, 2010 at 11:01 pm
I knew Helen from the Robbins Library, where she always had a kind word for me and my children. I was struck by her honesty, openness, and sincere warmth. My heart aches for all who knew and love her.
Sarah said this on November 16, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Blessed be. You will be greatly missed by many.
jim flavin said this on November 16, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Helen, we talked mostly in the lunch room about your growing garden at home and how abundant everything was there this summer. I felt a profound loss with your passing – as a fellow librarian and as one who appreciated your approach to living healthy. Knowing you from our brief encounters was an honor which I will miss.
Nancy
Nancy said this on November 16, 2010 at 3:39 pm
I am struggling to understand how this might happen. I have had many people in my life pass away but I never questioned if there was a heaven; I never ‘wanted’ there to be a heaven. I suppose it was because most of the people I know who passed away had lived a long life, or were struggling with horrible illness, or so young that they had not ‘made hard life choices yet’. But, Helen was neither young nor old. And, she clearly had made life choices that lead her to ‘give’ to others. Helen welcomed myself and my children when we moved to Arlington two years ago. My son was/is obsessed with fish/fishing/whales and she would spend so much time with him/us looking for books he didn’t already have memorized – when we walked in she would say she had held a book aside for him and she would always ask what he was interested in finding out about this week/day/minute. I adore meeting people who are present, who give because it is their nature to give, without expectation of return. Helen struck me as such a person. She was not a friend, she was in the order of acquaintance, yet, she brought a sense of place to our family. She gave. I want there to be a heaven for her. I pray there is a heaven for her. There should be a heaven for her. Anything her family would like to do in her memory/honor, I am more than happy to help with. I pray for her, her family, and hope she knows she was loved and cherished.
Susan
susan said this on November 16, 2010 at 9:40 pm
I knew Helen when she was a librarian at the O’Neil branch in North Cambridge. I remember when she was promoted from children’s librarian to the head librarian at the branch–it was the first time a children’s librarian had run a branch library in Cambridge. She was a strong presence there, very open to the adults and children who came in, not just as a librarian but as a person.
-Emily Dexter, Cambridge
Emily Dexter said this on November 19, 2010 at 2:38 am
I am sad. I had not seen or spoken to Helen for many many year but nevertheless I cannot remember when was the last time that the passing of a person did effect me so much.
Nine years ago Helen and I traveled in a small group in Alaska together. We had a fantastic time, we saw breathtaking scenery and we laughed a lot. Untill the afternoon of 11th September when a park ranger told us about the attack on the World Trade Center. From then on the trip was weird but also intense somehow because the group shared so many emotions.
One year later we ran into each other by pure chance (and luck!) in the Canadian Rockies just before taking a scenic flight over the Columbia Icefield. And again this was a very special experience that I was able to share with her.
After that we had no contact for 8 years untill she found me on facebook on 29th October 2010…
Today I found something on youtube that brought back the memory of a very funny evening we spend in a bar in Seward, Alaska. I wanted to share this memory with her – only to learn that it’s too late.
I feel like I missed the chance to get to know a very special person a bit better.
Sabine Stränger, Germany said this on December 7, 2010 at 1:49 am
H, I first met you at NEDTC when you lived in Acton, seems so long ago and yet like yesterday. You were great mom to your troubled pup back then. We kept in touch here and there over the years. I last saw you when I helped you and Liam move to Cameron street. I remember the name as it was my new nephews name. You were delighted to have space for a garden and we were to catch up over dinner but the time slipped away as it often does. You had just found me on FB. But I am as bad at connecting there as in real life. As such I just now found out you passed. I am so sad, especially for those closest to you. You were a special person. Your kids at the library that you loved to regale me with tales of will miss you more than all of us. But know that you touched everyone of them in a way they will always remmeber. You shared your love of yoga with me and I always and will always remember your lovely smile whenever I hear the word. Miss you and much love. G
greg parsons said this on January 28, 2011 at 3:47 am