Helen B. Eilts

Eilts, Helen B., 87, of Wellesley, Massachusetts passed away peacefully in Benton, Kansas on November 23, 2009 following an extended illness. Helen was born in New York City, N.Y. on November 20, 1922 and was the daughter of Josephine (Freund) Richards and step-daughter of Theodore Richards. She was a graduate of Wellesley College in 1944 and received a Masters Degree in 1947 from the School of Advanced International Studies in Washington D.C. Helen joined the U.S. Navy Waves during World War II and served as an officer from 1944 to 1946. On June 12, 1948, she married Hermann Frederick Eilts in Tehran, Iran. For over 30 years, Helen and Hermann represented the United States through Hermanns service with the U.S. Foreign Service. This included assignments throughout the world, to include in Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia (twice), Iraq, England, Libya, Egypt, and in the United States. In 1979, Helen and Hermann retired from the Foreign Service, moved to Wellesley, Massachusetts, and joined the Boston University community. In 1979, her many years of service on behalf of our nation were noted by then-U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance who stated “Her quiet, gracious warmth, her fluency in Arabic and profound interest in the Middle East earned her the respect, admiration, and confidence of peoples whose cultures are far different from our own. She exemplified the finest qualities of the American woman who serves abroad.” Helen was preceded in death by her husband Hermann Fr. Eilts, brother, Donald Brew, and her parents. She was always a loving and caring mother and grandmother and is survived by her sons, Conrad M. Eilts (Bahrain) and Frederick L. Eilts (Benton, KS.) and their families. Helen will be buried with her husband, Hermann, in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Memorial contributions may be sent to the Helen Brew and Hermann Eilts Scholarship Fund at Wellesley College, 106 Central St., Wellesley, MA 02481. Downing Lahey Mortuary East. Inurnment will be in Wellesley, MA.