Helen R. Haddad

1941 - 2020

Helen Rogerson Haddad of Orono, Maine, formerly of Northampton, Massachusetts, passed away on October 9, 2020, after a long struggle with Parkinson's disease. Born in Boston on October 4, 1941, she was the daughter of the late John E. and Jean (Porter) Rogerson. Helen graduated from Milton Academy in 1959 and from Smith College in 1963 and then attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She married Robert Haddad in 1964 and they settled in Northampton, where they raised their four children. They traveled extensively in Europe and the Middle East in the early years of their marriage and again after their children were grown.

Helen was a talented artist, gardener, and writer and a wonderful and inspiring mother and grandmother. She generously shared her enthusiasm and curiosity about the natural world with her family and friends, and she was never happier than when she was outdoors. When her first book, "Potato Printing," was published, she said that it was inspired in equal measure by having four children and four vegetable gardens. She went on to publish two additional books, including "The Taking: Before They Flooded the Quabbin" in 2014, and was an active artist and illustrator throughout her life. From 1981 to 1990, Helen served as the editor of the Smith Alumnae Quarterly.

Helen and her family spent many weekends and summers at their second home in Wendell, Massachusetts. Helen and her husband bought the home, an old farmhouse, in 1968 and lovingly restored it. Helen valued her connections in the Wendell community and was very involved in the successful effort to build the new Wendell Free Library in the 1990s. She also enjoyed spending part of every summer at a family home in Nonquitt, Massachusetts, where she had gone since childhood.

Helen is survived by her devoted family, her husband of 56 years, Robert; her three daughters, Emily Haddad (John Erikson) of Orono, Maine; Leila Borowsky (Mark) of Needham, Massachusetts; and Josette Haddad (Roderick Ventura) of Rio Rancho, New Mexico; and by her eight grandchildren: Milo, Sonja, and Molly Ventura; Philip (Stavia Stone-Wylder), Robert, and Theodore Erikson; and Jonathan and Daniel Borowsky. In addition, she is survived by her three brothers, Henry Rogerson (Inez), William Rogerson, and Edward Rogerson (Elizabeth); by her sister-in-law, Josette Generale (John); and by many nieces and nephews. Her beloved son, George, predeceased her in 1998.

Funeral arrangements will be private, and a celebration of Helen's life will be planned for a later date.

Donations in Helen's memory can be made to the Friends of the Wendell Free Library (c/o Alys Terrien-Queen, 99 West Street, Wendell, MA 01379), The Michael J. Fox Foundation (www.michaeljfox.org), or the Helen Rogerson Haddad Scholarship in Art (c/o University of Maine Foundation, Two Alumni Place, Orono, ME 04469), or to a charity of your choice.

Helen's family wishes to thank the staff of the Arbor at the Dirigo Pines retirement community and the staff at Beacon Hospice for their kind and compassionate care during Helen's last years.