Helen Kutscher, who was the heart and soul of the famous Kutsher's hotel and country club has died at the age of 89.
Kutscher whose hotel was part of the "Borscht Belt" hotels in the Catskills died in a hospital in Philadelphia, where she had lived for the past few years, family members said to the Associated Press.
Kutsher's was founded in 1907 and was known during its popular days to attract celebrities like Tony Bennett and Milton Berle and Wilt Chamberlain worked there as a bell hop. It attracted a largely Jewish clientele who drove from New York City to the area, reported the AP.
Helen was the main face of the resort and she greeted guests as they walked into the popular place.
"She was more than the greeter, she was the heart of the hotel," said her daughter Mady Prowler to the AP. "She always sent people birthday cards and had little gifts for the grandchildren. She made sure people felt that they were pretty special."
Helen came to Kutshers when she was 10 after her mother died. Her father met his second wife Rebecca Kutsher, who was a member of the family that ran the hotel.
In 1946, Helen married Rebecca Kutsher's nephew, Milton Kutsher and they had three children together. Milton died in 1998. She continued to work at the hotel in the 80s.
A restaurant in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood, Kutsher's, was created in Kutsher's resorts honor serving up Jewish home cooking.
"Helen Kutsher made everyone feel welcome and part of an extended family. Mark Kutsher graduated college and returned home to manage and then expand the business his parents had grown, offering the "Jewish" experience to a widely varied, multi-cultural clientele," says the Manhattan restaurant's website. "And let's not forget about the food! At peak capacity, Kutsher's served over 1100 people three meals a day, hosted countless weddings, bar mitzvahs, conventions and parties. Guests truly loved the kasha varnishkes, blintzes, brisket, pickled herring, borsht, potato knishes, matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, famous roast chicken and freshly baked challah."
Helen's funeral will take place in Monticello, New York.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
