Helen (Helle) Kruusmagi Eichhorn was born in Tallinn, Estonia, in 1935. She lived there with her parents, Erich and Ellen, until the age of nine, when they and five others escaped invading Soviet forces in October 1944 by crossing the northern Baltic Sea in a small fishing boat piloted by her father. After twenty-four hours at sea, they covered the 150 miles and made it to a harbor in Sweden, and Helen lived in Stockholm with her parents until age thirteen. They then immigrated to the United States to start a new life yet again, establishing a home in Lakewood, New Jersey, and eventually becoming U.S. citizens. All three were active in Lakewood's Estonian community.

Helen graduated from Bucknell University and taught elementary school in New Jersey before marrying Emil Eichhorn, a fellow Estonian refugee, in 1958 and moving to Baltimore County, Maryland, where she would teach for several more years. She and Emil raised two children, Eric and Lisa, and Helen actively volunteered as a parent at Timonium Elementary School. Eric and his wife, Janet Rankin Eichhorn, raised her two granddaughters, Carolyn and Sandra, and Helen enjoyed attending their soccer and basketball games and watching them mature into educated young professional women. As a lifelong dog-lover, she also enjoyed taking care of grand-dog Rembrandt when Rembrandt's person, Lisa, traveled to European destinations, including Estonia.

After losing Emil in 2006, Helen continued to take care of their home until moving to live independently at the Mercy Ridge Retirement Community in 2018. She made many friends there as she took up oil painting, joined the Linus Project to knit baby blankets to be donated to new mothers, and served on a committee that awarded college scholarship money to students who worked in the Mercy Ridge dining facilities. She enjoyed full, happy years there until she passed away peacefully on November 6, 2023, after just a few days in hospice at Stella Maris.

Helen's greatest pleasures in life were spending time with her family, keeping up by phone and email with American and Estonian friends, and knowing that her children and grandchildren were safe and happy.

A private memorial service will be held for the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mercy Ridge Scholarship Fund, c/o Mercy Ridge Retirement Community, 2525 Pot Spring Road, Timonium, Maryland 21093.