Pendergrast, Helen
PENDERGRAST, Helen
Helen Sinclair Pendergrast passed her last car on the highway to heaven on September 27, 2020, as she died swiftly and peacefully from a stroke, surrounded by family. She was born June 25, 1923 in Ramsey NJ to Milton D. Fogel and Clara Fogel née Johnston. An only child, her cousins were her siblings, especially Alice "cuz" Porter. During World War II, Helen volunteered for the Red Cross Driving Corps and driving remained a passion for her into her 90s. She attended Bryn Mawr College, and later worked at the Philadelphia Naval Yard.
On June 10, 1944 Helen married Ambrose Hodnett Pendergrast. In 1946, they moved south to Brodie's hometown, Atlanta GA, and began their family. She raised four children and was a second mom to many of their friends. Music, art, dance and literature were an important part of her life. Helen was welcoming and kind; a visitor to her home often became a member of the clan.
An open-minded woman of strongly held convictions, Helen was active in the Great Books discussion group, the civil rights movement, League of Women's Voters, PEO and, due to their social programs and civil rights work, All Saint's Episcopal Church. From 1965 to 1981, she worked as an Occupational Therapist Aide at the Emory University Hospital Psychiatric Unit. Curious about other cultures, Helen traveled the world at a time when logistics and communication were not easy. Later in life, she volunteered for Zoo Atlanta, the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Meals on Wheels, and the All Saint's homeless shelter.
Helen was intelligent, generous, kind, direct yet tactful, confident, feisty and beautiful. She took her role as family grammarian seriously. She loved her children and grandchildren deeply and was proud of all of them. She read books, played bridge and completed the Sunday NY Times crossword puzzle weekly into her 90s. Helen had a great sense of humor and grew old with grace and courage, laughing at herself and life's trials to the end.
Helen is survived by her children Don Pendergrast (Tracie), Alice Pendergrast (Armistead Neely), Bet Pendergrast (David Burghardt), and Callie Pendergrast (Dennis Creech); grandchildren James and Tyler Burghardt, Wesley Brenner, Hannah Summerfeldt, Asa Pendergrast, and Tess Pendergrast; Alice Porter née Mungall, brother-in-law William "Bill" Pendergrast, and sister-in-law Elizabeth "Libba" Pendergrast née Lapsley; and the many members of the Mungall, Porter, Terranova, Pendergrast, Henry, Creech, Stangle, and Neely families, as well as friends that she developed throughout her entire life.
In lieu of flowers please honor Helen by voting and by being kind to someone who does not look like you, think like you or believe as you do.
