Rita (Helfand) Cohen

Rita (Helfand) Cohen, 83, of Boynton Beach, FL, and Westview Dr., Bloomfield, died Wednesday, March 5, 2008 at John Dempsey Hospital, after a very long illness. Born and raised in Waterbury, she was the daughter of the late Israel and Hattie (Schwartz) Helfand. Rita loved writing and was the Editor in Chief of her high school newspaper. During the war, she took pride in helping our troops by working in an arms factory, which was known as Rosie the Riveter. In 1955 she moved to West Hartford. She was a member of Beth El Temple, West Hartford, the Beth El Temple Sisterhood, a lifelong member of Hadassah, and many other organizations. Besides writing, Rita adored antiquing, art, and poetry. She leaves her husband of 58 years, Samuel; two sons: Daniel Cohen and his wife Jackie of West Hartford, and Jonathan Cohen and his wife Georgianne of West Hartford; a daughter Sheila Cohen of San Francisco, CA; grandchildren: Joshua Cohen and his wife Evelyn, Emily and Amanda Cohen; and her sister Judith Silverman and her husband Oscar of Cheshire. She was predeceased by a sister, Bertha Schulman. Funeral services will be held Friday, March 7, 2008 at 11:00 AM in the Chapel of the Weinstein Mortuary, 640 Farmington Ave., Hartford with Rabbi James Rosen and Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler officiating. Interment will follow in the Beth El Temple Cemetery, Jackson St., Avon. A memorial period will be observed Friday following the funeral at the home of Jonathan and Georgianne Cohen in West Hartford. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Beth El Temple Music Fund, 2626 Albany Ave., West Hartford 06117, or to the Alzheimer?s Association, 279 New Britain Rd., P. O. Box 454, Kensington 06037. For further information, directions, or to share memories of Rita with her family, please visit online at www.weinsteinmortuary.com.