Helga Z. (Zinsmeister) Ragle, 76, passed away peacefully on August 27, 2018 in Hadley, surrounded by her family and friends following an extended illness.  Born in September, 1942 in Lorrach, Germany.  Helga emigrated to the US in 1969 and became a US citizen in 1975.   After a brief stay in Albany, New York to be with her family she spent a year in Vancouver, British Columbia, and in 1972 moved to Amherst, MA.  She then moved to Belchertown where she has lived since 2003. She starting working at the University of Massachusetts Department of Mechanical Engineering as Head Clerk. In 1975 worked as a shorthand reporter in Western Massachusetts until she retired in 2013.  After a breast cancer diagnosis in 1999 and a year spent in radiation and chemo Helga was told she had a one-year life expectancy.  Helga resolved to fulfill her dream of traveling to distant locations across the globe to pursue her passion of hiking and discovery of new cultures.  Helga and her son Jeffrey began to explore the United States by backpacking and hiking the many iconic and hidden wonders of the west including the Grand Tetons, Sierra Nevadas, Northern Cascades, Canadian and Colorado Rockies, and numerous National Parks in the Southwest US.  She also hiked many of the world’s treasures including trekking in Patagonia, Peru, Nepal, India, Chile, Bulgaria, Morocco and the European Alps. Her passion for hiking remained high even at home where she hiked every day with her dogs, Tigger, Granite, and Toby in the Holyoke Range, The White Mountains of New Hampshire, and many other New England peaks.  Helga has completed hiking all 4000-foot mountains in the White Mountains – twice.  Helga was an Appalachian Mountain Club Trip Leader and lead many hiking and cross-country skiing trips for friends, neighbors, and AMC members to New England natural areas including Mount Lincoln, Mount Monadnock, and Mount Greylock.  While at home and between trips she was often seen with her dogs in the Amethyst Brook Natural Area.  Helga was also an active tennis player and played with many teams in the local United States Tennis League Chapter and Hampshire Women’s Tennis League.  A member of the South Amherst Congregational Church, Helga sang in its choir and greatly enjoyed the fellowship that provided.  Helga was a member of the Belchertown Land Trust and was passionate about conserving the quality of life that the Town of Belchertown is well known for.  Helga also volunteered her services to the Holyoke Soldiers Home Hospice and Northampton Soup Kitchen.  She was a great friend to her neighbors in Amherst and Belchertown and will be sorely missed by them.  Helga lived for 19 years after her first (and subsequent recurring metastatic breast cancer diagnosis in 1999).  She has been a model for many on how to deal with life’s challenges.  Helga leaves behind her son Jeffrey who now lives with his wife Mirjam in Steinen, Germany where Helga grew up. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday September 15^th, 2018; 10:00am at the South Congregational Church, South Amherst MA.