Helene Yarmus

• Retired teacher

Helene R. Yarmus was a dedicated and beloved educator, teaching 5th-grade students at PS 41 in the Bronx for many years before becoming a mentor to new teachers in District 11, also in the Bronx.

A UFT member for 25 years, Helene loved both teaching and mentoring and had a particular passion for math.

“She had a quiet and dignified way of guiding children, which was evident in her work as a teacher and as a family role model,” said her husband, James Yarmus.

Helene died of primary progressive aphasia on Oct. 1, 2021, at age 77.

“She inculcated the passion for teaching that grew in me, and because of her, I love teaching now,” said Yarmus. An engineer who had his own business, Yarmus was inspired by his wife and now teaches at the university level.

Helene, who was born in the Bronx, loved being an educator in New York City, where she earned two master’s degrees, one from City College and one from Hunter College, both part of the City University of New York in Manhattan.

She had many close friends, including a group of four from high school who attended City College together, studied education and became teachers. Judy Edelstein was one of those friends. “Helene was an excellent teacher. She became a math specialist at her school, doing push-in math, training other teachers and giving demonstrations with the kids. She was well-loved by all her colleagues; a fabulous teacher who took it very seriously. Her students loved her, too,” Edelstein said. “We went through everything together — high school, college, weddings, the birth of our children, grandchildren, you name it. We know each other a long time.”

In addition to her husband, Helene is survived by her children, Michelle and Andrew, and grandchildren Carley, Lara, Aaron and Max. She also leaves behind a large circle of devoted friends.

Condolences may be sent to:

James Yarmus
1413 Warren’s Way
Wanaque, NJ 07465

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