Helen Mensing O'Donoghue

Helen Mensing O'Donoghue

Helen Mensing O'Donoghue, 88, of Charlottesville died on Wednesday, December 9, 2009, at a local care facililty.

Helen was born in Houston, Texas, on August 17, 1921, the daughter of the late Walter B. Mensing and Margaret T. Newning Mensing, and moved with her family in 1922 to Greenwood, Virginia, in Albemarle County. Growing up in Jarman's Gap she was a very active participant in the Greenwood community.

The year 1941 saw her in Dunbarton College in D.C. With United States entry into the Second World War, Helen joined the Air Transport Command (ATC) at Gravelly Point, Virginia. In 1943, she went with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which later became the CIA. One of her early, and unofficial, activities there was to recruit enthusiastic young women to Washington from among her acquaintance in Albemarle County. She was instrumental in bringing about 30 of them to the ATC and many to the OSS.

During 1945 until 1951 Helen's duties with the OSS, both overt and covert, took her to a number of stations in the European theater, several in Italy including Como and Rome; Bern, Switzerland; Paris; London, and finally into Germany.

She married Paul O'Donoghue of Washington, D.C., in 1951. Paul had seen artillery service in World War II with the 45th Division. He earned a Master's degree in Law at Harvard and became a tax-litigation specialist with the United States Department of Justice. Paul and Helen lived in Chevy Chase, Maryland, until 1982. They were members of the Chevy Chase Club and the Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Washington. Helen was also a member of the Chevy Chase Garden Club.

They had four children, daughters, Margaret Castillo of New York City and Ann Hardgrove of Bethesda; and sons, Paul Jr. of Arlington, Virginia, and Walter B. O'Donoghue of Middlebury, Vermont.

She was also survived by five grandchildren, Caroline Castillo, Alexander Castillo, Julia Hardgrove, Emily Hardgrove, and John Hardgrove.

Paul retired in 1973. Because of his failing health they returned to Helen's turf, Greenwood, in 1983. Daughter, Margaret, with a graduate degree from Harvard in Architecture, designed and oversaw the building of her parent's new home, Pippin Hill. Ten years later, Paul died of Alzheimer's at a Charlottesville nursing home.

In 1991, she left Pippin Hill and was the first resident of the newly built Westminster Canterbury of the Blue Ridge in Charlottesville. In her cottage at WCBR, Helen maintained an active interest in her beautiful yard and flowers. She has served on numerous of committees and was an avid bridge player. During her years at Westminster, she moved from a cottage to an apartment, spending the last several years in the Health Care Unit.

A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Tuesday, December 15, 2009, at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Greenwood, with the Reverend Peter Carey officiating. Interment will follow at the church yard.

Friends may sign the guest book at www.hillandwood.com.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.