Dr. Helen Harkonen

Dr. Helen Harkonen of Warwick passed away at home on Sunday, June 1, 2014. She was 86 years old.

Born Oct. 19, 1927, in Chicago, she was the daughter of Pentti (Ben) and Bernice Marie (Anttonen) Harkonen.

Helen earned her B.A. from the University of Chicago, her Master of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute, Chicago, and her PhD in Art History from the University of Minnesota.

She was a professor of Art History at SUNY New Paltz, and previously was the assistant curator of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Walker Art Center.

She is survived by her brother Arthur Harkonen and his wife Anne of Evanston, lll.; her nephews: John, Peter, and Andrew and his wife Elizabeth; a grand-niece, Joanna Jane; a grand-nephew, Nicholas Anthony; and numerous cousins.

Visitation will be on Saturday, June 21, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Ave., Warwick.

Private cremation.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Orange & Sullivan Counties, 800 Stony Brook Court, Newburgh, NY 12550 or Alzheimer’s Association, 2 Jefferson Plaza-Suite 103, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.

For further information, directions or to send an online condolence, see www.lsvpmemorialhome.com.