Lyme, N.H. — Hellen Solomon Darion died peacefully on Friday, Jan. 5, 2018, in Lebanon, N.H., surrounded by friends and family. It was her 103rd birthday. A mentor, advisor, and inspiration to many, she will be greatly missed.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1915 to Russian immigrant parents who raised her to (in her words) “believe she could do and be anything she wanted to,” she always tried to do just that. She was a true feminist, taking after her mother, one of the original members of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. She grew up in a loving home filled with Jewish culture.

Hellen studied the violin and modern dance as a child, fell in love with dance, and performed as a young adult in New York City. She majored in Spanish at City College, where she also posed as an artist’s model. She met her late husband, the Broadway lyricist Joe Darion, at Camp Boiberik, where they were both counselors. The family story goes that they couldn’t stand each other at first, but both felt compelled to figure out why. That story evokes so much of Hellen’s spirit: feisty, funny, honest, contrary, and above all, curious, interested in exploring everything.

During World War II, Hellen worked for China Relief; subsequently she worked side-by-side with her husband as researcher and editor for the many musicals and librettos he wrote, including “Man of La Mancha.” Together they traveled the world, which gave Hellen the opportunity to become a collector and importer of Asian art. The couple were major supporters of many charitable organizations in the Lyme area and in New York.

In the late 1970s, the lifelong New Yorkers bought what they thought of as a second home in Lyme. They were soon bewitched by the town, the area, and the people and eventually moved full-time to Lyme. Here, Hellen added Japanese calligraphy to her passions; she wrote that she “enjoyed the rhythm of the strokes, choreographed like a dance.” She pursued a life-long study of yoga and Tai Chi, and shared her love of the arts and the creative process, her love of life, and her sometimes wicked sense of humor with everyone around her.

Hellen lived her life the way she wanted to live until the day she died.

Hellen is survived by eight nieces and nephews, many great-nieces and great-nephews, several great great nieces and nephews, and countless dear friends.

Services will be private; a Memorial in Lyme is planned sometime in the spring.