Helen Carmines

Helen C. Carmines POQUOSON - Helen C. Carmines, 86, passed away Oct. 7, 2008. She was a native of Windsor, N.C., and a longtime resident of the Peninsula. She was a member of Central United Methodist Church. For many years, she was an employee of the Hampton school system and had been an employee of Riverdale Deli for 20 years. Her interests included traveling and puzzles. She was an avid bingo enthusiast. She was preceded in death by her husband of 40 years, William Preston "Pete" Carmines Jr.; parents, Noni and Archie Cowen; sister, Emily; brothers, James, William and Paul Cowan; and son-in-law, Ronald Bottoms. Surviving members of her family include her children, William "Bill" Carmines III, Nancy Vandevender and husband Bobby and Linda Bottoms and her fiancé, Charles Shepherd; grandchildren, Gregory Bottoms and wife Amy, Ronald Bottoms II and wife Stacye, Brian Vandevender and wife Beatrice, Brent Vandevender and wife Millie Anne, Matthew Carmines and Michelle Carmines; great-grandchildren, Isabela, Sawyer, Delanie, Iris, Sevrin, Abraham and Ronnie; sisters, Ruth Key, Mildred Day, Noni Brock and Pauline Lingo; and brother, Frank Cowan. The family will receive friends Friday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Parklawn-Wood Funeral Home, 2551 N. Armistead Ave. Hampton, VA 23666, where a service celebrating the life of Helen will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Interment will follow in Parklawn Memorial Park. Friends are encouraged to visit www.mem.com to share words of comfort with the family. The family also wishes to acknowledge and thank the staff of Heartland Hospice Services for their care and support. The family requests expressions of sympathy take the form of contributions to the Peninsula Food Bank or the American Red Cross.