Helen Gwirtsman

Helen Gwirtsman, 87, of Lake Worth, Fla., died June 17, 2012. Born Helen (Lonka) Bank in Janov, Poland, she was a Holocaust survivor, immigrating to the United States in 1951. A former Union resident, she lived in Springfield from 1966 until 2011 before moving to Lake Worth a year ago.

Mrs. Gwirtsman worked as a dental hygienist in private practice, retiring in 1990. She also had worked at the Mount Sinai University Dental Clinic in New York City.

She was educated in Poland in the Gymnasium of Lvov and completed her studies in dentistry in 1950 at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

She was fluent in five languages, Polish, Russian, German, English, and Yiddish, and had a reading knowledge of Hebrew.

She was a member of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, B’nai B’rith International, and Hazak for more than 30 years. She was also a member of the Jaslo Benevolent Society and was active in the Munich University Jewish Alumni Association.

Predeceased by a son, Michael, in 2004, she is survived by two sons, Harry of Nashville, Tenn., and Charles of Denver, and five grandchildren.

Services were held June 20 with arrangements by Menorah Chapels at Millburn, Union.