Helen Keer's Obituary
Helen Greenfield Keer, 91, of Delray Ray Beach, Florida passed away in her sleep on June 2, 2026. Her long life included many achievements defined by both her remarkable perseverance and an incredible love for her family.
Born Helen Farber to parents Abram and Esther in Paris, she and her family fled to Cuba as France fell to the Nazis, leaving behind almost everything to avoid the unfortunate fate of many others in the Holocaust. While in Cuba as refugees, her twin sisters, Sarah and Julie, were born.
Like many Jewish families, Helen and her family eventually emigrated to New York, starting a new life in Washington Heights in the shadow of the Second World War. There, she attended nursing school, became a cardiac nurse, and eventually met and married schoolteacher Harris Greenfield in 1958. The two then moved to Forest Hills, New York, where they raised their daughter, Rochelle, and son, Michael.
Helen was a strong, enduring woman. She raised her children as a single mother after Harris unexpectedly passed away in 1977. Later in life, she married Howard Keer, who also predeceased her in 2011 after battling cancer. She had a long career as a nurse and health care administrator in New York before retiring to Delray Beach with Howard in 1996 to be near her sisters.
Helen avidly read both fiction and nonfiction. She loved to talk about the news, politics and current events. She also volunteered regularly with NA'AMAT, the Israeli Women's Association.
She is survived by her son, Michael and his wife, Angelika; her daughter, Rochelle, and her husband, Wayne, and their three children and their spouses: Jessica and Michael, Samantha and Alex, and Joshua and Stephanie, and their children (Helen’s great-grandchildren): Jackson, Hailey, Aurora and Jonny.
Helen will be laid to rest alongside her second husband, Howard, at South Florida National Cemetery on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 10:30am
6501 S. State Road 7 Lake Worth, FL 33449.
Those wishing to honor Helen with a memorial contribution are kindly encouraged to consider a donation to a chariy of your choice.
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