Helen Kreisler died suddenly at Massachusetts General Hospital on November 6, 2010 at the age of 42. A beloved, warm, generous, outgoing woman with an infectious streak of mischief, she thrived on adventure and new experiences. Her too-short life, cruelly interrupted by fate, touched and enriched all who knew her in countless ways.

Helen was born and raised in Princeton. She graduated from Princeton Day School in 1986 and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in English literature at Wellesley College. Soon thereafter she completed a Master of Library Science degree at Simmons College in Boston and went to work in the Cambridge Public Library system as children's librarian, eventually rising to become head of the O'Neill branch while continuing as children's librarian. During those years, she participated in a myriad of community activities in Cambridge; she became a public figure and ultimately a folk hero to the hundreds of families who knew and loved her, especially to the children of Cambridge.

Her love of the outdoors started at the age of 2 when she was first introduced to hiking in the Adirondack Mountains. She developed a passion for hiking and climbing, biking and white-water rafting, going on numerous adventure trips around the country and Alaska. Photography was another of her loves; she specialized in dramatic pictures of nature and unusual pictures of children at play. A talented violinist from an early age, she was forced to give up the serious pursuit of performance by an arthritic condition in her fingers. Nevertheless, she continued to enjoy playing chamber music with friends and colleagues. She also became a skilled practitioner and teacher of yoga. She loved animals, especially dogs, and was an excellent, patient 'clicker' trainer. Wherever she walked, she made a point of stopping to say hello to every friendly puppy she met.

Above all, she loved being with children, playing with them, reading to them, and teaching them. She taught them to sing, to read, and to dance. She exuded joy and enthusiasm. Wherever she went she was greeted by the children she had 'raised' on reading, now all grown up. She believed that her success lay in combining music, literature, and movement in ways children adored, thereby promoting literacy and encouraging a love of books among the families lucky enough to be served by her libraries.

In 2003, Helen met Liam Scheff, who (according to the O'Neill branch library staff) "stole her" and absconded with her to the West Coast, where they shared adventures living in Seattle, San Francisco, Berkeley, and visiting Hong Kong, mainland China, and Japan. After returning to Cambridge, she worked and did her immensely popular, crowd-gathering "Storytimes" at the Robbins branch of the Arlington Public Library.

Of late, she was planning with Liam to move out of the city in order to have more space to garden and farm, to have a dog, and to be closer to nature. Their interest in and admiration for Eastern spiritual traditions led them to make plans for a trip to India. Liam hopes to take that trip soon, with Helen with him in his heart and soul, to let her see it through his eyes.



Helen's unique gifts and soul live on every time we take a moment to be kinder when expressing ourselves in our daily relationships; to be friendlier when encountering new situations and obstacles; to be open-hearted and open-minded even when facing challenges. Her radiant smile will continue to warm us whenever we share what is good in the world with young people, and children; let them know that there is joy in ideas, in song, in reading, in learning and sharing; and show them that we can achieve good in the world by simply giving our selves and our time.

Helen was a dearly beloved daughter, a teacher, a friend, a counselor, a support, and a deeply loved and loving domestic partner. She is survived by her parents Frederic and Gretel Kreisler of Princeton, her brother Stephen of Paris, and her partner Liam Scheff. Her premature passing will be mourned by thousands of people and many hundreds of families in the Cambridge and Arlington area, and wherever she worked, as well as by her friends everywhere. She was and is irreplaceable.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. James Church in Pennington at 10:30 a.m., Friday, November 19, preceded by a welcoming in the gathering space from 9:00 a.m. Private burial will be at Princeton Cemetery.