Helen Marie Berberich Marak

SHREVEPORT, LA - Helen Marie Berberich Marak died peacefully on February 25, 2015, after a brief illness at the age of 93. A Funeral Mass will be held at St. John Berchmans Cathedral on Monday, March 2, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. Visitation will be held on Sunday, March 1, 2015, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1815 Marshall Street, Shreveport, LA. Burial will follow at Forest Park Cemetery East. Helen was born in Little Rock, AR, on October 16, 1921, where she attended Catholic grade school and Mount St. Mary's Academy. She received her business degree from Little Rock Capitol City Business College. She moved to Shreveport, LA with her parents in January 1939. She was employed in a number of positions including 2 years at the local USO Club and then as a tax auditor for the State of Louisiana. Prior to, and after her marriage, she enjoyed an involvement in activities at the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans Catholic Church. She served as a Lector for many years and was a founding member of the Queens Workers Circle 5 church support group that she served on from 1948 to the time of her passing. She was a member of the Shreveport-Bossier Board of Realtors for over 54 years, where she served a term as President and truly enjoyed her participation in the family real estate business. During her tenure as a Realtor, she received numerous awards and was amongst only a few women in the real estate business at the start of her career. She was preceded in death by her parents, William G. and Clara O'Neal Berberich, her husband, Henry M. Marak and her son-in-law, John D. Scott III. Helen is survived by her sister, Barbara Joan Berberich Clark and husband Donald L. Clark, Jr.; her 6 children, Henry M. Marak, Jr. and wife Betty, William J. Marak, Robert J. Marak and wife Martha, Linda Marak Scott, all of Shreveport, LA, and Kathleen Marak Hightower and husband Jim, of Lafayette, LA., and Donna Marak Riess and husband Michael of Metairie, LA; 11 grandchildren, John D. Scott IV and wife Jenny, Leigh Scott Lewis and husband Bobby, Martin Marak, Katherine Marak, Nathan Marak, Matthew Marak, Madeline Marak, Robert Riess, Christopher Riess, John Hightower and Joan Hightower, and 5 great-grandchildren, Henry Ross Lewis, Andrew Lewis, Isabelle Lewis, Emma Kate and Addison Scott. Helen will always be remembered as a very loving, selfless, caring wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend to all she met. Her untiring sense of humor that kept her strong will always be with us, to keep us strong in the coming years. Helen's devotion to God and family will never be forgotten by all who knew her. Family and friends would like to thank Dr. Alan Borne, Dr. Ralph "Trey" Baucum and all the wonderful staff and friends at the Savannah at the Oaks and St. Joseph Hospice for all their care. Special thanks and love goes out to, "The Girls of the Round Table" who ate lunch and supper with Helen every day for these last wonderful years and all her ladies in Circle 5. She also obtained great pleasure writing her "essays" in her writing class at the Oaks under the direction of Harriet Daggett. These essays will forever be the memoirs of Helen Marak for generations of family and friends to treasure. Pallbearers will be grandsons and great-grandsons. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana, or to charity of donor's choice.