Evelyn H. Malkin died April 30, surrounded by her loving family. She was 94.

She was predeceased by her dear husband, Sidney H. Malkin, and her parents, Charlotte and Maurice Helfant.

She was born in Boston. She attended Colby College and left after two years to marry Sidney in 1946. They were married for 58 years — years full of travel, family ski trips and family celebratory meals. She earned her bachelor of arts in 1969 from Boston University while raising five kids, and in 1974 received her master of social work from Simmons College.

Evelyn and Sidney lived in Greenwich Village and Kings Point, N.Y. prior to moving to Wayland where, for 40 years, Evelyn was active in the community, focused on helping youth and families.

She delighted in the Vineyard. Starting in the 1950s, she visited the Island for many summer weekends. Staying with close friends, she introduced her children to up-Island and its way of life at that time. Days on the beaches of Aquinnah and Chilmark, walks in the woods, gathering mussels in Menemsha Pond, the noisy tables of chat and the focus on the outdoors all left a lasting impression.

In the late 1970s, her son James and his wife Joan built a house in Chilmark. For the 16 years that Jim and Joan lived overseas, she and Sidney spent the season in their house, acting as caretakers, managers and happy residents. Her granddaughter Jessica Mason and her husband Greg built their own home in Chilmark in 2018.

She spent the 2020 winter and summer of Covid in Chilmark. At age 91, she would hike the Fulling Mill trail, going back and forth between the families’ homes. She especially enjoyed family dinners with Everett Poole, Dianne Smith and Jane Slater, comparing tales of local life and global travels. Each year, she attended several Island Community Chorus performances. 

After Sidney’s death in 2004, Evelyn moved to Cambridge. She loved art, travel, museums, reading, friends of all ages, dance, music, theater, food, wine, and the Cambridge Public Library and its librarians. She enjoyed talking, connecting and helping people. She was passionate about her work as an oncology social worker at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) for about 30 years in the Proton Center, mostly in pediatrics. She was involved in establishing the Healing Garden at MGH with the assistance of Dr. Shipley and the Friends of the MGH Cancer Center.

Evelyn was devoted to her family. She is survived by her brother, Murray Helfant, and her five children and their partners: James Malkin and his wife Joan, Nancy Carr and her husband Robert, Peter Malkin and his wife Mary, Cathy Malkin and her husband Bill Meltzer, Alison Malkin and her husband Rich Comeau, and her might-as-well-be-son, Bob Osmond and his wife Annie Yinsakulchai. She also leaves nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Contributions can be made to the Healing Garden at Massachusetts General Hospital.

For more information, visit the website for Levine Chapels in Brookline at levinechapels.com.