81.4 F
Cruz Bay
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeCommunityDeathsScientist, Professor, Environmental and Community Activist Helen Gjessing Dies

Scientist, Professor, Environmental and Community Activist Helen Gjessing Dies

Helen Witton Gjessing

Helen Witton Gjessing died on Jan. 29 in Shelburne, Vt.

She is survived by sons: Erland (Jonathan) Gjessing and Eric Kirchoff; daughter, Catherine Gjessing; brother, David Witton and wife Irene; daughter-in-law, Ilsa Kirchoff; and the extended family of James McCarthy, Bill and Jean Sioss and Kathleen McCarthy, and their siblings and children.

She was predeceased by her husband, Frederick Cheney Gjessing; and her son, Craig Kirchoff.

Helen Gjessing was born in Boston, Mass., on Nov. 22, 1927, and spent most of her formative years in Concord, Mass.  Helen, a gifted athlete, played field hockey and basketball, and she swam competitively.  In later years, she learned to play tennis and played well into her 70s.  She participated in school choir and retained a deep appreciation for music throughout her life, especially classical chamber music.

Helen’s parents were divorced when she was young, and her brother William was killed in the Battle of the Bulge when she was in high school.  Helen claimed that she was not a good student and that other family members were “geniuses,” but her enduring curiosity and intellectual engagement in science, the natural world, history, current events, politics, art and music were evident throughout her life.

She got a B.A. degree from Beloit College in 1950 and a Master of Science in Biology from UMass at Amherst in 1952.  After graduating she worked as a laboratory research assistant in Boston.  On Sept. 5, 1955, she married Frederick Gjessing in Glover, Vt.   The couple moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico and then to St. Thomas, USVI, in 1958.  After spending a year in Europe in 1961-1962 so that Fred could complete a Fulbright Scholarship studying historic architecture, they returned to St. Thomas.  They built a home, and Helen started teaching biology part-time at the University of the Virgin Islands.

Helen was an excellent cook, and she and Fred had wonderful parties and meals with friends and family.  They had strong family ties and connections to the Northeast Kingdom and vacationed in Glover, Vt., every summer.  Helen eventually became a tenured professor and taught a number of classes, including genetics and microbiology.  In addition to working full time, she raised four children and was a community and environmental activist.

She focused on promoting government transparency, protecting the environment, human health and sustainable development.  She was an active member of the League of Women Voters and the recipient of numerous awards, including the League of Women Voters Impact Award, Environmental Rangers Earth Day Award, and the first recipient of the Helen Gjessing Community Service Award.

Although she was an introvert, Helen had a great sense of humor, and she was a smart, tenacious, articulate and outspoken volunteer advocate.  She was an inspiration for many young women, as well men, pursuing the sciences and environmental activism.

In 2014, Helen Gjessing moved to Vermont and settled at Wake Robin in Shelburne.  Helen was loved and respected by all who knew her well and she will be missed.  A special thank you to the Wake Robin staff and Bayada Hospice staff.

A Celebration of Life will be scheduled in Vermont at a later date and sometime this summer in St. Thomas, USVI.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.