Helen E. McGowan ("Sam") passed away peacefully with her daughters by her side on January 27, 2025, at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. After valiantly fighting a terminal illness that would eventually claim her, she chose to enlist Hospice care, leaving this world on her own terms.
Born on March 8, 1937 in Brooklyn, New York to Hilda and Fred Feldmann, Helen spent the last chapter of her life at the Landings in Sarasota, Florida, where she'd made many wonderful friends in the community and had loved. She was able to pursue her love of swimming, doing laps daily in the pool, something she thoroughly enjoyed. She volunteered at the Mote Laboratory and Marine facility in Sarasota, devoted to saving baby turtles as they attempted to make their trek to the sea. Her grandchildren, David and Kerry had even accompanied her on one of her missions. A prolific 'news junkie', she kept up on all that was happening in the world, always eager to engage in discussions about the current 'state of affairs'!
Before moving from New York to Florida, Helen was an avid skier, spending much of her free time on the slopes in Vermont, where she'd once planned to retire and had built a home she'd on her own, designed. Though the move proved not to be, she nevertheless thrived on being active and keeping fit. She had an adventurous spirit, a love for travel, and had ventured on a solo 6-wk trip to Europe, visiting many countries, among them her family's birthplace in Germany. Health issues had plagued Helen throughout her life though, yet with her unaccountable resilience she managed to live a rewarding life despite how they'd challenged her.
Prior to retiring in 1999, she had a successful and rewarding career serving many years as the administrative assistant to the director of psychiatry at the Columbia Institute of Psychiatry in New York.
She is survived by her daughters, Patricia and Christa; her grandchildren, David, Micheal, Erin and Kerry; great grandchildren, Declan, Hadley and Connor; her beloved shih tzu pup - the light of her life - Murphy (who, on their daily walks 'introduced' her to everyone in their community!); nephew and nieces, John, Judy and Susan; and among her many cousins, Ernie and Anna Tews, who she'd been especially close to. She is preceded in death by her brother, John, his wife Eileen and her partner, Dan Luxenberg, who she dearly loved and spent many joyful years with.
In lieu of a funeral a private Celebration of Life event will be held for family. Abiding by her wishes, her ashes will be placed in a man-made reef that will reside deep in the ocean where marine life can proliferate, a meaningful alternative to a traditional burial. To learn more about the memorial service being held in her honor visit eternalreefs.com.
