Born October 15, 1933, in Washington, D.C., Helen Louise was preceded in death by her parents Effie and Jerry Pettis.

She graduated from Armstrong Technical high School in 1951 and enrolled at Howard University where she pledged Alpha Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in 1952. She earned a B.A. degree in advertising design from Howard in 1955 and a master’s degree in graphic arts from Howard in 1959.

From 1959-1970 she held teaching positions at several colleges across the country including Elizabeth City State Teachers College N.C., Wiley College, TX, Bowie State Teachers College, MD, the District of Columbia Teachers College, and at high schools in the D. C. public school system. She was a curriculum specialist at the D.C. Educational Resources Center and a fellow at the National Gallery of Art in 1966. From 1972-1988 her career included terms with the U.S. Department of Education.

Helen Louise lived in Ormond Beach, Florida, from 1990-1996. While there, she continued to pursue her interests in art, computers, scholarship and philanthropy.  She did volunteer service as a foundation board member at Bethune-Cookman University, volunteered as an assistant curator at the Daytona Beach Museum of Arts and Sciences, and was treasurer and board member of the Plantation Bay Civic Association. 

She continued to express herself through her paintings with oils and acrylics, in the abstract and expressionist styles. Her art was featured in the Inspiration: 1961-1989 DC Art Association Exhibition at the Anacostia Community Museum and in 2013 Helen Louise was the first artist to be featured in the Strathmore Invitational Gallery. In addition to painting, she loved to attend jazz concerts and enjoyed fiddling with her Z-Gauge Model Railroad sets.

In lieu of flowers and to honor Helen Louise’s passion for the arts, memorial contributions may be made to the below charity:

Strathmore

5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda MD 20852

Web: https://strathmore.org/tribute

Designation: “Artists in Residence” or “Exhibitions”

 

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