Helene P. Yamarick, 94, died peacefully on August 16, 2024. Devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, as well as avid walker, lifelong learner and teacher, and traveler with a spunky curious mind, Helene was born in 1930. In her earlier years, Helene was an accomplished classical pianist and pursued her dreams to go to college, actually Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA. She graduated with a B.A. Degree in 1951 that made her an English teacher. At college, she met John (Jack) W. Yamarick who was working on and graduated with a Chemical Engineering degree from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. On April 19, 1952, Helene married Jack Yamarick, whereupon they moved to Port Arthur, Texas for a short time, then later to Parkersburg, West Virginia; Wilmington, DE; Atlanta, Georgia; and back to Wilmington, DE. In October of 1970, upon returning to Wilmington, she become a part-time teacher as well as a dental health counselor.
Even during those years when Helene and her family were living a great distance from the Jersey shore, they traveled and vacationed every summer at Long Beach Island, New Jersey, loving the beauty and joys of the Atlantic Ocean. Later on, after Jack’s years with Dupont, Helene and Jack moved to Maris Grove in Glen Mills, PA. Shortly thereafter, Jack passed away in October of 2007 and Helene remained an active member of the community until her recent passing. In her years at Maris Grove, she took on new interests such as painting and writing for the newsletter. She always had a circle of friends who experienced Helene’s wit, warmth and friendship.
She is survived by her loving daughter, Janelle and her husband, Louis Sartor, of Atlanta, GA; her loving son, William and his wife, Kathleen of Paoli, PA; and her loving daughter, Sue Ellen, of Wilmington, DE. She is also survived by her grown, beloved grandchildren, Andrew, Jessica, Alana, and Kate, and her four great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 7 at 11 a.m. at the Maris Grove Chapel, 200 Maris Grove Way, Glen Mills, PA 19342. Visitation will be at 10am. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her memory to either of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, in Wilmington, DE or the Arthritis Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware in Glen Mills, PA.
