Helen E. Bertas, 96, a trailblazing lawyer in Philadelphia
Known as "the little dynamo," Miss Bertas was among the first women of Greek descent to become a lawyer here. She also taught business law.
Helen E. Bertas, 96, of Bryn Mawr, a trailblazing lawyer who was among the first women of Greek descent to practice law in Philadelphia, died of complications from a series of strokes Wednesday, May 17, at her home.
Miss Bertas was a lawyer and partner in her own firm, Budd & Bertas, and an associate professor of business law at Drexel University's LeBow College of Business. In both roles, she set an example for other women of Greek extraction who were drawn to the law, her family said.
She began her career working as a clerk in a law office and then decided to train for law. She graduated from Drexel University in June 1942 with a degree in business administration and went on to receive a law degree from Temple University in June 1950.
She was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar Association in December 1950. At that time, there were few, if any, Greek women who had made it through law school and into the legal profession.
For 40 years, Miss Bertas specialized in immigration law, but she also handled wills, estate planning, and real estate transactions. Because she was a woman, she had to work extra hard, but she was blessed with a high level of energy -- so much of it that she earned the nickname "the little dynamo."
"It was in that 'man's world' that Helen's standard of excellence, skill, drive, dependability, organization and incredible work ethic stood out," her family wrote. "She was a courageous advocate on behalf of her clients and a leader in progressive causes."
She retired in the early 1990s.
In May 2015, she was among the first four honorees to be inducted into the Drexel LeBow College of Business Hall of Fame. Drexel professor Richard Freedman, who served on the selection committee, recalled taking a class with Miss Bertas.
She made such an impression on him that he decided to follow her into academia. As a teacher, she "was tough, but in a good way. We learned so much," he was quoted as saying in the alumni bulletin.
"She was my mentor when I first started teaching at Drexel in 1975; I followed her lead," he said. "She taught me how to teach. She was an excellent professor, and there's no one more deserving of LeBow's Faculty Hall of Fame award."
Ted Goldsborough of Bala Cynwyd said in an online condolence that Miss Bertas had helped his family with legal work after his father died. The Goldsborough and Bertas children graduated from Lower Merion High School. "She was a remarkable person," he wrote.
Mrs. Bertas was a past leader of the Philadelphia Bar Association and an active leader in the world of the Greek Orthodox Church. She served as national president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, president and board member of the Hellenic University Club, and president of the St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church Parish Council, and was the Broomall church's legal counsel for many years. She also was president and legal adviser for the St. Luke Ladies Philoptochos Society, which aids the poor.
She received the Medal of St. Paul, the highest honor given by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. In June 2005, the Hellenic Lawyers Association of Philadelphia honored her with a Lifetime of Achievement award.
Miss Bertas kept in touch with family, and had a wide circle of friends.
"Helen was a wonderful and generous friend, and shared her legal expertise with [others] whenever needed," her relatives wrote.
She is survived by two sisters, Mary B. Rennis and Anne B. Trivelis, and five nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were Monday, May 22.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church, 35 N. Malin Rd., Broomall, Pa. 19008; Mainline Homecare and Hospice Foundation, 240 N. Radnor Chester Rd., Suite 100, Radnor, Pa. 19087; or the Hellenic University Club of Philadelphia Scholarship Fund, Box 42199, Philadelphia 19101.