Martha L. Heller

Martha L. Heller died peacefully at home on November 15, 2020, with family by her side. She was 91. Born in Debrecen, Hungary, on March 19, 1929 to Lily and Ignatz Klein, Martha was adopted by Alexander and Georgette Felbermann Kremer, her great-uncle and his wife, at the age of eight. Martha came to America to live with them, and was raised in Douglas Manor, Queens, NY. She graduated from Bayside High School and the Scudder School in New York City. On September 11, 1952, she married the love of her life, George W. Heller, and they were married almost 66 years, until his death on April 20, 2018. As newlyweds, they made their home in Wilmington, Delaware, where George worked for DuPont as a chemical engineer. A few years later, George began his long career at Tensolite Company (then in Tarrytown, NY), where he rose to be President. The Hellers moved to Riverdale, NY, and then in 1962 to Greenburgh, where they lived for 40 years and raised their family. Once her children were grown, Martha returned to work in market research, first at General Foods and later at Stolzenberg Wertkin. In their later years, Martha and George moved to Westchester Meadows (now The Knolls) in Valhalla, NY. Martha and George (yes, like the Washingtons and the famous hippo friends of children's books) loved to travel, loved to dance together, and loved to gather with family and friends. Martha was a wonderful cook and a consummate hostess. She was beautiful, classy, astute, and strong-willed. She would tell you that George was the smart one, but she sold herself short. Martha was also a good and loyal friend, but she loved her family most of all and delighted in spending time with her children and grandchildren. We will miss her, her smiles, and her delicious Hungarian food. Martha was predeceased by her parents, her brother Gyula Klein, her sister and brother-in-law Edit and Gyorgy Kelen, and her nieces Judit Jancso and Zsuzsa Nagy. She is survived by her daughter Suzanne (Neal Haber) of Croton-on-Hudson, NY, her son Peter (Terry) of Los Angeles, CA, her grandchildren Alex Haber (Jordan Greenwald) of Oakland, CA, Gregory Haber of the Bronx, Katherine Heller of Washington, DC, and Joseph Heller of Los Angeles, CA, and her great-nephews Krisztian and Gergely Jancso and Tomasz and Peter Nagy and their families. The family would like to thank the team of wonderful women who took such beautiful care of both "Georgie and his Martushka" at the end of their lives: Adia, Allison, Dawn, Gerda, Jasmine, Paula, and Paulette. Mom and Dad loved you all and we will be forever grateful for your warmth and compassion. Graveside service on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, at Sharon Gardens, Valhalla, NY, limited to family and a few close friends because of Covid restrictions. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum or Channel Thirteen would be greatly appreciated. Graveside NOV 18 (ET) Sharon Gardens Cemetery 273 Lakeview Ave Valhalla, NY 10595 http://www.kensico.org/ Loading map