Helen Jacobs Logan

Helen W. Jacobs Logan, 64, of Kingston passed away peacefully Saturday, January 28, 2012 surrounded by her loving family at the home of her daughter, Colleen, with whom she had recently resided.

Born December 12, 1947 in the Georgetown section of Wilkes-Barre Township she was a daughter of the late Henry W. and Esther Moran Jacobs.

Helen graduated from Saint Mary's High School in 1965 and from Misericordia University in 1969, where she was granted a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education; she received her Master's degree in guidance from Kean University (formerly Newark State), Union, New Jersey.

Helen taught in the Brooklake and Ridgedale Schools in Florham Park, New Jersey for nine years. She then returned to Wyoming Valley, where she accepted a position as a guidance counselor in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. Her return also provided the circumstances for her to renew a romance with her soon-to-be husband, Russell Logan. They married in 1980 and settled in Kingston with their children.

Helen took great pride in her profession as a guidance counselor, tending to the needs of her students with a generous and caring spirit. She possessed the ability to quietly help both students in need of academic assistance and their families in need of emotional or material help. She worked in various schools in the district, including Mackin, G.A.R., Dodson and Dan Flood, from which she retired in 2007.

Helen's devotion to her husband and children was evident to all who knew them. The tragic passing of Russ in 1992 left Helen with three young daughters; she would go on to raise her family herself, handling children, work and home with the lively spirit and sense of humor that would become her trademark.

In addition to raising her family and her career in education, Helen was involved in many other pursuits over a period of several decades. She loved to travel, whether to the beaches of Cape May, Dewey and Naples, or to the distant shores of Ireland. She was an avid tennis player, a voracious reader and an enthusiastic bridge player. She appreciated beautiful things in her home, both new and antique, and frequented local estate sales and auctions in search of special pieces of furniture, glassware and linens. Helen was also an expert gardener who loved flowers and so looked forward to spring, when she could start her 'pots' and tend to her yard. Yet perhaps her finest talent was the rare ability to make friends, nourish friendships, and be a true friend. Helen saw the best in people, ignoring their flaws with a twinkle in her eye, and delighting in their company. The circle of friends she leaves to mourn her and miss her is immense.

Helen is survived by her loving daughters, Molly and her husband Christopher Garavito of Kingston, Colleen and her fiancé Jared McTague of Dallas, and Kate, at home; step-daughter, Lisa Davis of Wilkes-Barre; precious grandson, Jack Garavito; brothers, Henry and his wife Bonnie Jacobs of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Lee and his wife Aleedra Jacobs of Flemington, New Jersey; and nieces and nephews.

Helen's family thanks Dr. Bruce Saidman and his staff at Medical Oncology Associates in Kingston. Their kindness to Helen over the past three years will never be forgotten.

Celebration of Helen’s Life will be held Wednesday at 9 AM from McLaughlin's - The Family Funeral Service, 142 South Washington Street in Wilkes-Barre with Funeral Mass at 10 AM in the Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola. Interment will be in Saint Mary's Cemetery in Hanover Township.

Friends and relatives are invited to visit at McLaughlin's on Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 PM.

Memorial donations may be made to Osterhout Free Library, 71 S. Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702, Medical Oncology Associates Prescription Assistance Fund, 382 Pierce Street, Kingston, PA 18704, or the charity of your preference.

Permanent messages and memories can be shared with Helen’s family at www.celebrateherlife.com