Obituaries

Koppel, Helen "Babe" (Nee Ellis) Babe had a long career in the apparel industry starting in her family’s business, "Ellis Hat Shops". She moved to New York in the late 50’s and had positions with retailers Bonwit Teller and Bergdorf Goodman.

Babe was an accomplished athlete and was the first female lifeguard at Lac LaBelle in the mid 1930’s. Her real passion was golf where she held a 15 handicap and played competitively in the New York metropolitan area private club circuit. She was inevitably ladies club champ wherever she belonged.

She received a B.A. in Drama from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was an accomplished actress, comedienne, and singer throughout her life. She was a member of Milwaukee’s own Yiddush theater company, "The Perhift Players", and performed in Milwaukee, New York, and Florida well into her 80’s.

The great love of her life was her husband Erv; her boys, Steven (Wendy), William (Marg) and Hal Koppel; as well as her grandchildren, Elissa, Rianna, Lauren and Luke Koppel. Erv and Babe were high school sweethearts and spent 70 years together separated only by WWII. Babe was a warbride and her hometown service was profiled in an article by the Milwaukee Journal in 1944.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 17 at 2:00 PM, at Congregation Sinai, 8223 N. Port Washington Rd., Fox Point, WI.

Memorial contributions made to the American Cancer Society or the American Heart Association would be appreciated.

GOODMAN-BENSMAN Whitefish Bay Funeral Home 4750 N. Santa Monica 414-964-3111