Helen Jarkovsky

1921 - 2019

Helen B. Jarkovsky

June 30, 1921 - January 23, 2019

Helen B. Jarkovsky, 97, passed away peacefully on January 23, 2019. She was married and devoted to the love of her life, Irv Jarkovsky for 57 years. She was a loving mother of three children, Sandra Blair, Ron Blair and Jill Jarkovsky, and a loving mother-in-law to Carol Cohen. She was a warm and loving grandmother to Cory Stein, Shawn Stein, Jesse Stein and Hannah Tikalsky (Brandon). She was so happy to meet and greet the newest member of the family, her great granddaughter, Beyer Tikalsky, born in November.

Helen was born in San Francisco in 1921. Her parents were from Hungary and Poland, Hermina (Minnie) and Abraham Tick, respectively. She had three siblings, Milton, Margaret and younger sister, Evelyn.
She grew up in Roseville during her younger years and then moved to Grass Valley, where she graduated as valedictorian of her high school class in 1938. She then attended UC Berkeley, where she graduated in 1942. After graduation, she married and had her first two children, and then moved to San Francisco, where she met her second husband and had her third child.

While she grew up in hard times, in a financially struggling family, she developed an intense love of books and movies that transported her to worlds then beyond her reach. She and Irv loved to go dancing, attend plays and movies, and although her travels were limited when she was younger, beginning in her 50's, they traveled the world extensively. She was an active volunteer for her children's PTA and the Sisterhood of Sherith Israel. She was a great believer in donating to the many causes that she believed in. Donations can be sent to a charity of your choice. Condolences can be sent to P.O. Box 2282, Berkeley, CA 94702.