Helen Stamm

Helen Daniel Stamm died in the care of her family on Aug. 20, 2024, at the age of 78 (or as she would call it twice her Jack Benny age).

Helen is survived by her children Marsha Gayl (Joshua) and Daniel Stamm (Shelby), her brother, Stanley Daniel (Lorraine Wasserman and the late Helene Love Daniel), her beloved grandchildren (Ava, James, Malcolm, Julius and Simon) and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and loved ones. She was predeceased by her husband of 46 years John Eric William Stamm.

Helen was born in Philadelphia on Sept. 15, 1945, to Anni and Irwin Daniel – immigrants who had escaped the evil grip of Hitler’s Germany. She was raised in the West Oak Lane section of Philadelphia and was a proud graduate of Girls’ High. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in history at Temple University in Philadelphia and would continue her post-graduate education at Gratz College, Millersville University and the University of Bridgeport.

Helen was an educator for more than 50 years, starting as a Sunday school teacher at Congregation Bnai Jacob in Phoenixville before teaching at Philadelphia, West Virginia and Connecticut public schools. She would later teach at Beth Tikvah B’nai Jeshurun in Erdenheim and Har Zion in Penn Valley, among other Philadelphia-area synagogues. She had a special role in ensuring Jewish education with students with the greatest physical and mental challenges to ensure they could be called before the torah as b’nai mitzvahs. She also volunteered with the Art Goes to School program for several decades, ensuring children of all backgrounds got exposed to art history.

She later became a social worker and advocate for children with special needs. She most recently worked for Lenape Valley Foundation in Bucks County as a child advocate, touching the lives of countless children and their families for generations to come.

Helen met John at a Jewish singles dance in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in the early 1970s, when he approached her and asked her to dance. They would marry on Aug. 25, 1974, and live in both Connecticut and Parkersburg, West Virginia, before settling in the suburbs of Philadelphia so John could join Helen’s family business, Accommodation.

They raised their children (Marsha, born in 1978. and Daniel, born in 1981) along Summit Lane in Oreland, Pennsylvania. In their later years, Helen and John also spent time at their home in Ventnor, New Jersey.

Helen and John loved food, the Entertainment Book coupons, freebies, deals, flea marketing, auctions and penny slots. But most importantly they loved family. She cared deeply for her family and made a point to attend as many family functions as possible.

Helen also had great interest in culture and the arts. She was a longtime season-ticket holder at the Walnut Street Theatre, a patron of Theatre Horizon in Norristown and various other local theater companies. She often attended screenings of Jewish films, various lectures and synagogue events at BTBJ, Tiferet Bet Israel in Blue Bell and other various shuls. She loved to visit museums, zoos and other institutions, reading every last word she could. She even would once in a while attend a Phillies baseball game – though she wasn’t very interested.

Helen loved to read and to watch TV (as long as the show aired in the 1990s or earlier). She also was a advocate for voting rights, even serving at polling places.

Helen was ahead of her time in many ways. She was always a working mother who did her best to tackle the home-work balance well before it became the norm. She also was accepting of people of differing backgrounds and opinions, often the one doing the listening (with her catchphrase “I hear you”). She was also a staunch advocate for women’s rights.

She was also a traditionalist. She had a strictly Kosher home and held to strong conservative Jewish beliefs that were instilled in her by her immigrant parents. She rejected smartphones and even took a sense of honor in being a “dinosaur” when it came to technology.

Helen was tough, independent and stubborn, but also kind, caring and sympathetic. Those traits were on full display as she courageously battled fallopian tube cancer for nearly three years.

Her insight and caring left an indelible mark on thousands of people over many generations.

Helen was special and will be missed.

Funeral details:

Memorial will be held Friday Aug. 23, at 11 a.m. at Levine’s Funeral Home, 1002 W Skippack Pike, Blue Bell, Pa., followed by Internment at Adath Jeshurun Cemetery, 1855 Bridge Street, Philadelphia. The chapel service will be streamed at https://www.levinefuneral.com/blue-bell-webcam.html. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Helen's memory may be made to the Helen and John Stamm and Family Preschool Scholarship Fund at Beth tikvah-B'nai Jeshurun in Erdenheim, Pa (https://www.btbj.org/form/donate).

The family will be receiving visitors at Helen’s home following internment Friday.

Shiva details:

Saturday, Aug. 24, from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Helen’s residence.

Sunday, Aug. 25, from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Gayl residence.

Monday, Aug. 26, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Daniel’s home.

Tuesday, Aug. 27, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Helen’s residence