Helen Doughty Curran

QUEENS - Helen Doughty Curran of Queens N.Y. entered into eternal life on June 5, 2018, at the Mount Sinai Queens Hospital after suffering a stroke and acquiring MRSA while being hospitalized.She was born Dec. 14, 1931, to Charlotte and Calvin Edmund Doughty Senior at the old Doughty homestead on the West End of Chebeaugue Island and attended the one-room West End Schoolhouse. In the third grade, she read the poem HIGH FLIGHT, and that very afternoon arrived home and informed her parents that when she grew up she would be moving to New York City and would work as an air hostess, a position now referred to as flight attendant. She lived her dream.At her father's insistence she attended Portland High School graduating in 1951. Although she was awarded a partial scholarship to the University of Maine she chose to work for one year in the Portland area to save money for her tuition at the Aviation Traning School in Boston. She was most fortuante to have been able to stay with her Aunt Harriet in Winthrop Mass. and commute to her school in Boston. She was thrilled to have been hired by Northeast Airlines upon graduation from Aviation Training School and was assigned to New York's Laguardia Airport. It was here that she would meet her future husband, Thomas Patrick Curran Senior, then employed by the New York Telephone Company as a teletype technician.With Helen spurring him on, Thomas rose through the ranks retiring in 1984 after a 37 year career with the Bell System. He ended his career as an acting Division Manger with over 800 employees reporting to him. He oversaw the telecommunication systems for the entire Southern District of Manhattan, included the New York Stock Exchange, as well as the World Trade Center. They married on Jan. 29,1955, and were divorced in April 1988.While rearing her four children, Helen returned to school with the aspiration of attaining her college degree. She again lived her dream. She was employed as an assistant archivist for the Paulist Fathers, The American Bible Society, and the JC PENNEY company at its' corporate headquarters then located on Sixth Avenue in New York City. After being highley recommended by her then supervisor Ms. Joan Gosnell, Helen was chosen by the Penney family to succeed E. Virginia Mowry, after her passing, to be the social secretary to Mrs. James Cash Penney the widow of he company's founder, Mr. James Cash Penney, who resided on Park Avenue. She would often look back with fondness on her days at both the Penney Corporate Offices as well as time spent with Mrs. Penney at her Park Avenue apartment. She and Mrs. Penney grew to be very fond of one another. After Mrs. Penney's passing the Penney family asked Helen to stay on for an additional year to oversee the administration and distribution of Mrs. Penney's estate. This was a herculean task as Mrs. Penny's possessions were distributed to family members throughout the United States. She thoroughly enjoyed working for the Penney family and the Penny Company and would often remark that the Penny fortune was perhaps one of the few fortunes made in America without bloodshed. Mr. Penney started the company with the foundation of the GOLDEN RULE, which was the name of his first dry goods store in Kemmerer, Wyoming Her relationship with the Penney family continued until her June 2018 passing. Helen was then called upon by the Archdiocese of New York to assist Msgr. Florance Cohalan a renown historian and retired priest in the Archdiocese who authored the History of the Arcdiocese of New York They too grew very close to one another and she would often remark regarding Msgr Cohalan's sterling character much like that of her father. He was a man of his word. She remained with Msgr Cohalan until his passing in October 2001, and was with him when he entered eternal life. Helen is survived by her four children, Pam Curran of Chebeague Island, Thomas P. Curran Jr. (Darlene) and their children Thomas P. Curran, lll, and Kristen Ann Curran all of Mahopac, N.Y, Kevin Curran and wife Debra, formerly of Scarborough, and Stephanie Curran who was her primary care giver with whom she resided in Queens N.Y.She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Ms. Catherine Curran of Hicksville, N.Y., Elaine Doughty of Hollis Center, Maine, and Judy Doughty of Chebeague Island. She would often reminisce about the happy times she spent at Bennett's Cove on Chebeague with her lifelong friend, Louise Rich-Todd. She said the happiest times of her life were spent at Bennett's Cove and would forward with fondness to returning home to Chebeague Island and the happy times shared with the extended Doughty family, as well as her friends whom she had known since childhood. She was a blessing to each and every life she touched, always offering to lend a helping hand. We, her children, were blessed beyond words to call her MOTHER. She did her best to instill in us the values she lived by, hard work, honesty, integrity, and the importance of doing one's best each and every day. She would say, if you give to the world the best you've got, the best will come back to you. Her life is proof positive that it is not where you come from but where you are going. She went from the humble beginnings of the one room West End Schoolhouse on Chebeague Island, to occupying the office adjacent to that of the CEO of the JC PENNEY company in New York City. She often spoke of the values her parents instilled in her growing up on Chebeague and in Portland. Those values paralleled Mr. Penney's Golden Rule. Stephanie Curran wishes to acknowlege those who assisted her in her last mile of life particularly Northwell Health Physician Partners, Dr Mark Schiffer-Cardiology, Dr Stephen J Nicholas -Orthopedics, Dr Spyros Mezitis -Endocrinolgy, the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, the caring compassionate staff at Regal Heights Rehabilitation, New York City's unsung heroes the EMT'S and Paramedics of the FDNY whose intervention at our home has repeatedly saved our lives, as well as the NYPD'S 115th precinct detective squad, you truly are the greatest detectives in the world. Please join us on Chebeague Island on Saturday, June 8, 2019, to share your memories of this remarkable woman we were fortunate to call MOTHER.The Curran family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to the Chebegue Transportation Company for their assist in transporting attendees free of charge from the mainland to Chebeague Island for her final farewell. Attendees are strongly encouraged to arrive at the CTC's satellite parking lot on Route One no later than 9:30 to ensure a timely arrival at the Cousin's Island wharf for the 10:15 departure of the ferry to the Stone Pier at Chebeague Island. Arrangements for her final journey home have been entrusted to Mr. Thomas Antonopoulous, Director of Farenga Funeral Home, Astoria, N.Y. with an assist in Maine by Conroy Tully Walker, State Street, Portland. Stephanie also wishes to express the debt of gratitude owed to the entire staff at Farenga Funeral Home, particularly Gus and Tommy Antonopoulous. Your genuine care, concern, generosity of spirit, and grace will never be forgotten. You got me through the most difficult challenge I have ever faced. She would also like to thank her extended family in Maine, the Curran family, Hicksville NY, her esteemed colleagues at the Fifth Avenue Flagship of Lord and Taylor, her Queens, N.Y. neighbors, and friends near and far. Honorable mention goes to her dear friend, Ms. Esmerelda Hidalgo, who has gone above and beyond to lessen her burden of sorrow. From the bottom of my heart, you have all been bright beacons of light during one of the darkest hours of my life. Godspeed!