Helen Agnes Borek passed away suddenly on Monday, September 21, 2026, at the age of eighty-eight. She leaves: two sons - Kevin and wife Lisa Borek of Glenwood, MD and Gregory Borek of Frederick, MD; five grandchildren - Evan Borek of Glenwood, MD, Travus Borek of Longmont, CO, Jordan Borek and Johnathan Borek of Leadville, CO and Madeline (Tyler) Shaw of Thurmont, MD; three great-grandchildren - Lenora, Judah, and Joshua Shaw; one sister Nellie Peterson of Florida. Helen was predeceased by her husband Joseph, daughter-in-law Kathleen, grandson Nathan, brothers Eddie and Francis, and sister Ethel.

Helen was born in Worcester, MA to the late Adolph and Agnes Blash. She graduated from Commerce High School in Worcester MA. Helen always had an incredible sense of style and fashion and loved artistic pursuits. She was a beautiful young woman, and she convinced her mother to allow her to be a model at a local department store so that she could earn free clothes. She would reminisce about the stylish red Catalina swimsuit she earned among other high fashion items while modeling and liked telling the story of how she briefly worked as an actress in a soap opera airing on the local TV station in Worcester. Helen married her beloved husband Joe in May,1959 and they were happily married for 60 years. She devoted herself to raising her two sons as a full-time mother. She and Joe left their home in Springfield MA in 1966 and moved to Europe, living first in France and then in Germany. Returning to the US, they settled in Lanham, Maryland where Helen attended the University of Maryland taking art and design classes. After the family moved to Frederick Maryland, Helen began a long successful career with the Federal Government with the Department of the Army at Fort Detrick, MD and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Rockville, MD. She retired from NOAA in 1991 when she and Joe relocated to Dagsboro, DE for retirement. Living in Europe in the 60’s wetted what became Helen’s lifelong passion for travel and experiencing new places and cultures. Together she and Joe traveled extensively throughout the world, cruised the Caribbean and Alaska, and explored the US.

Though born and raised in the Protestant faith, Helen made the decision to convert to Catholicism in the 1970s. She was a person of unwavering faith in God and after moving to Dagsboro was a dedicated member of St. Ann Catholic Church in Bethany Beach for over 35 years, making many dear friends within the church and her community. Helen’s greatest joy was her grandchildren, who loved visiting her and going to the beach, fishing, and playing put-put golf together. Helen will be deeply missed by her children, grandchildren, and extended family in Florida and Massachusetts.

A visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 from 10:00 to 11:00am at St. Ann Catholic Church, 691 Garfield Parkway, Bethany Beach, DE 19930. A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11:00am. Internment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Dagsboro, DE.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice in Helen's name.