Obituary of Helene Bellevan Janus

Helene Bellevan Janus, of Elmwood Park, New Jersey, passed away peacefully at home on April 7, 2026, at the extraordinary age of 102.

Born on June 3, 1923, Helene lived a life full of love, strength, and quiet beauty. She carried herself with grace through more than a century, touching the lives of everyone fortunate enough to know her.

As a young woman, Helene graduated from Garfield High School and followed her creative spirit to the New York School of Fashion, where she learned the art of hat making, a talent that reflected her eye for detail and her appreciation for elegance. That same determination and passion led her to run GILCO Textile Manufacturing in East Rutherford alongside her beloved husband, Edward Janus, which they managed together with pride and dedication for 39 years.

Beyond her work, Helene found deep joy in her community, her faith, and in the quiet beauty of the natural world. She loved gardening, cherished flowers, and spent countless hours outdoors, finding peace and happiness among the blooms and the changing seasons. Her love for nature was a reflection of the gentle care and attention she brought to every part of her life. She served as a Past Worthy Matron of the Order of the Eastern Star, Stella Chapter, and was a devoted member of the First Presbyterian Church of Elmwood Park. She also treasured the friendships she made through AARP and the Elmwood Park senior clubs, always valuing connection, laughter, and time spent together.

But above all else, Helene’s greatest love was her family. She is survived by her daughters, Karen (Bill) VanBuskirk and Gayle (Don) Croak, who were the center of her world. She was a proud and loving grandmother to Alysha (Ryan) Cormack, Anthony (Lelia) Demeri, Alec (Alison) Demeri, Adam VanBuskirk, and Autumn VanBuskirk, and a joyful great-grandmother to Charlie, Teddy, William, and Hazel. Each of them carries forward a piece of her warmth, her strength, and her love.

She is reunited in peace with her beloved husband, Edward Janus, who passed on August 16, 2010, as well as her dear brother, Paul Bellevan, and her sisters, Margareth Bellevan and Dorothe Crandall.

Helene will be remembered not only for the long life she lived, but for the gentle way she lived it—with kindness, resilience, and a deep love for those around her. Her presence was a comfort, her smile a gift, and her memory will remain a blessing to all who knew her. Like the gardens she tended so lovingly, her life leaves behind a lasting bloom, a reminder of beauty, care, and joy.

Though she will be deeply missed, her love lives on in the family she cherished and the many lives she touched.

May she rest peacefully, always loved and never forgotten.

If you would like to contribute to Helene’s memory in your own way, please consider making a charitable contribution to the Shriners Children’s Hospital. Memorial donations can be made via this link.

A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered. Please join us for the public visitation on Tuesday, April 14th, from 10AM to 12PM with a service following immediately after at Norman Dean Home for Services. Interment will follow at Cedar Lawn Cemetery in Paterson, NJ. Please use this page to leave a condolence, share a memory, or light a candle to continue to let Helene’s light shine.