Helen Pate Bain passed away on Nov. 28, 2015 at age 91 after a long illness.
A native of Nashville, Tenn., she was the older daughter of the late Buford and Florence Whitt Pate.
She graduated from Cohn High School in 1942 and completed undergraduate studies in education at Peabody College in 1945.
She accepted a position as an English and speech teacher and school counselor at Cohn High in 1946 and taught until 1968. She took a short leave of absence to earn her master’s degree from the University of Michigan in 1950.
A well-known political activist and passionate educator, Ms. Bain’s life was devoted to promoting education, human rights and advocating for teachers, students and better urban schools at the local, state, national and international levels.
Ms. Bain was a member of the National Education Association (NEA) and was engaged in numerous committees and task forces, especially those promoting desegregation and mergers of white and black teacher organizations in southern states. She was elected NEA president and served from 1970-71.
Following her public education career, she received an EdD degree in education administration and supervision from the University of Tennessee in 1974 and was on the faculty of Austin Peay State University and Tennessee State University.
She was a principal investigator for Project Star, a state-funded Tennessee research project to study class size, and made regular reports on these studies to the annual NEA Representative Assembly.
She also was a proponent of housing for the elderly and helped to build and govern Green Hills Apartments for Retired Teachers in Nashville.
She retired to Gulf Shores, Ala. in 1990 where she was an active member of Gulf Shores United Methodist Church. She began its Stephen Ministry and served in the bread ministry.
She also was involved in the Fort Morgan Civic Association and diligently worked within her community for needed improvements and youth activities.
Helen is survived by her two sons, Kenneth (Karen), Asheville NC and David (Brenda), Daytona Beach and three grandsons, Matthew, Eric and John who live in the Washington DC area.
A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m., Jan. 16, 2016, Gulf Shores United Methodist Church
Gulf Shores, Ala.
Visitation also will be held from 2-5 p.m. on Jan. 30, 2016 at Green Hills Apartments for Retired Teachers, 209 Abbott Martin Road, Nashville, TN.
Memorials may be directed to The NEA Foundation, 1201 16th St N.W., Washington, DC 20036, https://www.neafoundation.org/donations, or Gulf Shores United Methodist Church, 1900 Gulf Shores Pkwy., Gulf Shores, AL 36547.
