Henrietta Fine, 94, volunteer at visitors bureau

Henrietta Cohen Fine, 94, a volunteer with the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau for more than 30 years, died Monday, May 16, at Paul's Run, a retirement community in Northeast Philadelphia.

Mrs. Fine began volunteering in 1972 at the information desk at the bureau's visitor center at 16th Street and JFK Boulevard.

She was honored in 1997 for 25 years of service as a volunteer.

The most frequently asked questions, she said, were, "Where's the public bathrooms, the Liberty Bell and the Rocky statue?" Strange questions, she said, included, "What hotel overlooks the ocean? Where can I go bear hunting?"

Mrs. Fine's husband, Alex, drove her to the visitor center, and together they visited museums and exhibits, said their daughter, Roberta Dranoff.

In 1993, Mrs. Fine and her husband went on a tour of Bucks County with bureau volunteers. At her urging, he joined her riding horses at the Carousel World Museum. "I haven't ridden one of these in 70 years," he told the Inquirer.

Mrs. Fine and her husband often traveled abroad, and took tours and mini college courses sponsored by Elderhostel after he retired from his floor-covering business.

"He adored her and was always there for her," their daughter said.

Mrs. Fine grew up in Logan. After graduating from Olney High School, she worked in the office at American Paper Co. in Philadelphia. She and her husband met at a party and married in 1939. They saved their money and took a cruise to Havana, Cuba, on their honeymoon, their daughter said.

After the war, the couple bought a home in Northeast Philadelphia. In the 1950s, they were founding members of Beth Emeth Synagogue in Northeast Philadelphia.

Mrs. Fine also volunteered for Jewish charities. She was an American Red Cross Gray Lady at Frankford Hospital before becoming a volunteer at the visitor center.

In addition to her daughter, she is survived by a granddaughter and two great-granddaughters. Her husband died in 2006.

A graveside service will be at noon Wednesday, May 18, at Montefiore Cemetery, Jenkintown.

Donations may be made to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 555 North Lane, Conshohocken, Pa. 19428.