Mrs. Helen Sylvia Nestler

January 19, 1922 - April 1, 2016

Bert Nestler passed away at home on Jan 22, 2016 after a brief illness, followed by his wife Helen Sylvia Bendel Nestler, also at home, on April 1st, after a long illness. It was fitting and natural that they were apart for just those 10 weeks. Bert was just a few weeks shy of his 99th birthday. The world, from his birth through his death, may have progressed from horses and buggies to self-driving cars but it never left him behind. Well into his 90s he could be found doing research on his computer, or in his garage designing, repairing, and modifying tools and equipment. He attended and graduated from Columbia University, while working in the family sporting goods company. He later became an electrical engineer working on, among other projects, the Mercury space program and thereafter, the Apollo moon program. He was an avid amateur photographer and filmmaker, creating slide shows set to music and editing silent family films from the 50s and 60s with special effects and subtitles. Even non-family members enjoyed his films! During WW II, Bert proudly served in the U.S. Army Air Force and retired from the reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel. He was one of the first WW II veterans to go on an Honor Air trip to Washington D.C., which was one of the highlights of his life. The main highlight of his life, though, was Helen. Helen passed away at 94, and you could count the number of days they were apart throughout their married lives on one, maybe two hands. Helen was the first in her immediate family to attend college, graduating from Hunter College, worked as a bookkeeper, and later as an elementary school teacher for many years. Helen was a traditional wife and mother having delayed the start of her own full-time career as a teacher until both of her children were older. She also loved to paint in oils, and created many paintings which are treasured by her family. Helen and Bert met on a blind date when Bert was on leave from his military service. As the story goes, when Bert called the first young lady on his list of potential dates, she was busy, and since “one blind date is as good as the next one” he called Helen. The rest is history. They married soon after the war, in 1946. Helen and Bert are survived by Bert’s brother, Irwin (spouse Shirley), their two children, Larry Nestler (spouse Beth) and Margie Karow (spouse John), four grandchildren, Allison, Becca, David and Brian, two great-grandchildren, Annabelle and Leo, niece Erika, and nephews Allan and Kenny. Services have been held.