Helene Becker

Helene Streuber Becker, 102, of Erie, passed away in the early hours of Friday, September 8, 2017 following a brief illness and a remarkably long life. She was born in Erie on May 7, 1915 to the late Harry John and Alice Veeder Streuber.

Helene was the second of three sisters who would remain close throughout their long lives. Over an eight-month period from 1921–1922 the girls lost their baby brother, Harry Jr., their mother and their father. Rather than being consigned to the orphanage, they continued to be raised in the family home on West 19^th Street by their maiden aunt and uncle, Emma Henrietta Philippina and Frederick Leopold Streuber, known affectionately as Umma and Peewee.

Helene attended Washington School, where her kindergarten teacher, Elizabeth Spafford, would turn out to be the aunt of her future husband, Spafford Becker. She matriculated to Academy High School where she danced around the maypole in the stadium on May Day. Following her graduation she went on to Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, all the while making friendships that would last a lifetime.

A gifted artist with a love of fashion, Helene dreamed of living in New York City but cheerfully returned to Erie and took a position at the downtown Halle Brothers, working in the lingerie department for ten dollars a week. The tall, unassuming and extraordinarily kind Helene entranced confirmed bachelor Spafford Becker and they wed in 1943. Their placid temperaments, charm and generosity meant that their gracious homes on South Shore Drive and their cottage in North East are remembered to this day by those many who enjoyed their warm hospitality. Luncheon guests were provided with a tuna salad sandwich and a Coke, along with a delicious homemade brownie; those coming in the late afternoon were treated to a glass of champagne and a canapé.

A talented writer known for witty poems, Helene gained notoriety in the 1990s when she penned a series of Flashbacks for the Erie Times. She received fan mail and phone calls for months following each newspaper appearance. It was well-deserved recognition of her prodigious memory of Erie’s history.

In addition to her role as wife, mother and doting grandmother, Helene was a devoted member of the Junior League and gave many decades of service to the Hamot Aid Society. She also loved traveling each year to New York City to take in the Broadway shows and Fifth Avenue, as well as winter breaks in Palm Beach. She longed to see Paris, yet somehow never made it. She saw the good in everyone, befriending any and all, and never had an unkind word.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, J. Spafford Becker; her sisters, Virginia Sheriff and Jane Arrowsmith; her baby brother, Harry Jr; her grandson, Jeffrey Spafford Potter; and nearly all of her many beloved friends.

She is survived by her daughters, Nancy B. Potter and Barbara B. Harris (Charles); her son, John S. Becker (Cindy); two grandchildren, Alexa D. Potter and Drew S. Harris (Valerie); a cousin, Carol Dalzell, and many nieces and nephews.

Friends are invited to call at Burton Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 602 W. 10^th St., Erie, on Saturday, September 16^th from 10:00 until the time of service at 11:30. Private burial will be at the Erie Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Erie Art Museum, 411 State St, Erie, PA 16501, C.O.R.E. Center for Organ Recovery and Education, 204 Sigma Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15238, or the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 4742 North 24th Street, Suite 400 Phoenix, AZ 85016.  Send condolences at www.Burtonfuneralhome.com.