Obituary of Phyllis Helfand
Phyllis Helfand, 90, sadly passed away on Monday, February 26th 2024 surrounded by her family. Phyllis,
a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, was born in Brooklyn,
New York, on June 18, 1933 to Sam and Irene Paroff. She was a graduate of Midwood High School and
later graduated with a degree as a dental hygienist. Phyllis was married to the love of her life and
childhood sweetheart, Mort Helfand, for 60 years. She and Mort lived in Brooklyn and later in New
Jersey, in Englishtown, Cranbury and Manchester before settling in Whiting 14 years ago.
Phyllis worked primarily for two dentists in her career, Dr. Sachler, in New York, and Dr. Bruce Metzger
in, Morganville, New Jersey, and was remembered by her patients for her care and thoughtfulness. She
is remembered by friends and family for her perfectly matched outfits, for her frequent letters and
phone calls, and above all else, for her unwavering love and kindness. She enjoyed nothing more than
providing for her family and spending time with the people that she loved.
She is survived by her two children, Randi and Michael; her daughter-in-law, Linda, and son-in-law, Rich;
her five grandchildren, Jonathan, Drew, Rachel, Zach, and Jenna; and her great-grandson, Wyatt.
Funeral Services were held on Wednesday, February 28th at noon at the Holmdel Cemetery,
www.holmdelcemetary.com, 900 Holmdel Road, Holmdel, NJ. Shiva was observed on Wednesday,
February 28th at Randi and Rich Otto’s home in Ocean, NJ and on Thursday, February 29th
at Michael and Linda Helfand’s home in Westfield, NJ from 7:00-9:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org,
225 N. Michigan Ave., 17 th Floor, Chicago Il 60601, 1-800-272-9300.