HELEN RACHEL DERENZO VAN BUREN

HELEN RACHEL DERENZO VAN BUREN, age 66, of Houston, died Oct. 31, 2009, at home of an apparent heart attack or stroke.Ms. Van Buren grew up in South Philadelphia, summered at the Jersey shore and regularly visited family in Niagara Falls. Her father was a physician and her mother was a nurse. As a child she studied piano which led to a lifelong love for music and the arts.She graduated from the Academy of Notre Dame High School on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia and earned a bachelor's degree from Rosemont College in Rosemont, PA. in 1965 where she majored in English, minored in French and sang in the Glee Club. She earned a master's degree in education from Temple University. For several years, she taught at Vare Junior High School in Philadelphia and became chairman of the reading department.In 1971, she married, Charles Thomas Van Buren, a medical student at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1972 they moved to Boston, MA where he was a surgical resident at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, and she taught special education classes at Brookline Middle School. The couple moved to Houston, TX in 1977 when he joined the faculty at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.While raising their three sons, Ms. Van Buren was active with the Junior League, Covenant House, and various activities at St. John's School. She enjoyed traveling with her family and being involved in her sons' sports and activities. She was a founding member of St. Laurence Catholic Church in Sugarland, TX.In the late 1990's, she was a financial planner and securities representative before returning to teaching. She taught special education at Shotwell Middle School, Corpus Christi Catholic School, Lantrip Elementary School, and finally Rusk Elementary School. She retired due to declining health in 2007.Helen had a passion for politics, medicine, and music. Over the past several years she was actively involved in her Houston Women Republicans Group. In addition, she enjoyed spending time with her sons and her sister Doris. She was intelligent, insightful, witty, kind, and gracious. No matter what challenges she had to meet in life, she always had an optimistic outlook for the future and looked forward to the next day.Her striking looks - auburn hair, fair skin, and brown eyes - was described as uniquely attractive in her Rosemont College yearbook.Ms. Van Buren is preceded in death by her parents Dr. and Mrs. A. George Derenzo. She is survived by her three sons Charles T. Van Buren, Jr, his fiancée, Vanessa Guo; Dr. George Van Buren, II and his wife, Dr. Lynette Whitfield Van Buren; Dr. Peter N. Van Buren and his wife, Vicky Van Buren; her sister Doris DeFalco and her brother-in-law Anthony DeFalco; her brother, Dr. George Derenzo, her former husband, Dr. Charles Van Buren, and many loving nieces and nephews including Julie DeFalco Rowe, Lauren DeFalco Pennington, and Andrew DeFalco.Her devotion to God, her children, and her friends has set an example for us all. We will cherish her precious memories as we cherished her. In the hearts and minds of those who loved her, her legacy lives on.Friends are invited to a Wake service beginning at 6:00 PM, followed by a visitation with the family until 8:00 PM, Thursday, November 5, 2009 at Earthman Bellaire Funeral Home, 6700 Ferris. The Mass of the Resurrection will be held at 10:00 AM, Friday, November 6, 2009 at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church, 6800 Buffalo Speedway. Rite of Committal will follow at Memorial Oaks Cemetery.