Skip to main content

Helen S. Rattray, Longtime Star Editor and Publisher, Dies at 90

Fri, 04/18/2025 - 14:45

Helen S. Rattray, the former longtime editor and publisher of The East Hampton Star, died early Wednesday morning at Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport.

Ms. Rattray, who was 90, became associate editor of the paper in 1976 and took over as editor in chief in 1980. Her "Connections" column appeared in The Star for 43 years, until 2020. 

A memorial gathering and celebration of her life will be held on Sunday, April 27, at 11 a.m. at Ashawagh Hall in Springs, with a potluck lunch to follow.

Villages

Couple's Legacy: A Gift to Nourish the Arts

Helen Harrison, a longtime steward of the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, and her husband, the artist Roy Nicholson, plan to leave their house in Sag Harbor, Nicholson’s studio, and his body of work — worth an estimated $5 million — to Stony Brook University, along with a $2 million endowment to maintain them. 

Aug 27, 2026

Horses, Hats, and Summer Fun at Hampton Classic

“The horses, the sport, the community, the summer day, the shopping — it’s so much fun.” In one sentence, Erica Velasquez summed up the magic of the Hampton Classic, which spurred into action on Sunday in Bridgehampton.

Aug 27, 2026

Local Artists for Ugandan Schoolchildren

An auction of striking photographs and a work by a local artist will benefit a nonprofit organization that provides safe transportation and improves school infrastructure in Uganda on Sunday evening at Sole East in Montauk

Aug 27, 2026

 

Your support for The East Hampton Star helps us deliver the news, arts, and community information you need. Whether you are an online subscriber, get the paper in the mail, delivered to your door in Manhattan, or are just passing through, every reader counts. We value you for being part of The Star family.

Your subscription to The Star does more than get you great arts, news, sports, and outdoors stories. It makes everything we do possible.