Helen B. Robinson

For more than 60 years, Helen Robinson was an unwavering sentry at Fenway Park, serving the Boston Red Sox as the team’s longtime switchboard operator. Considered by many to be one of the most venerated and respected figures in the history of the team, she is remembered for her wit, kindness, and unending devotion.

Helen joined the Red Sox organization on September 2, 1941. She had been working for the New England Telephone Company when a co-worker suggested she apply for a switchboard operator position with the team. She was hired by then-Red Sox manager and Hall of Famer Eddie Collins. Helen became a gatekeeper for the team, screening calls protectively for all members of the Red Sox staff. Every call that came in had to go through Helen. She determined just who spoke to Collins or owner Tom Yawkey and quickly became known as the person you had to know when trying to work with the Sox. From lauding to raving to angry, she handled the calls from all the fans that came into Fenway, no matter how well the team was doing on the field. Even 60 years later when the staff has grown from 10 in 1941 to more than 80 today, Helen still received a great number of calls.

In her early years, Helen worked at a circuit board that she would have to plug calls into when connecting them. To know when to disconnect, she would have to listen in on many conversations of Red Sox management, a fact that was very interesting to many sports writers who wanted the inside scoop. Though Helen was privy to lots of information, she never revealed anything she heard in her 60 years, no matter what. She was a staunch supporter and didn’t believe in talking about others’ business or drawing attention to herself.

Helen loved the people she worked with at Fenway, from ushers to executives to all-stars. They loved her right back, often showing their appreciation over the years. While she did not have the same relationship with today’s players, she built lasting relationships with many Red Sox legends. (In her early days, sports agents hadn’t yet arrived on the scene, so the players themselves would have to get through her to negotiate and do business with Sox management.) All-star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra was among the players known to send flowers to Helen as thanks for help. It wasn’t unusual for Helen to receive calls from Dave “Boo” Ferriss, Johnny Pesky, or Bobby Dorr, checking in to chat or to see how she was doing. She was especially close to Ted Williams, who called her “Sunshine.”

Helen’s fame extended beyond Boston and throughout baseball. People across the country knew that Helen always kept tabs on things at Fenway, and they knew how helpful she could be to them.

People at the Red Sox office could set their watches by Helen. She never missed a day of work. She was always early and never left before 5. She always stayed an hour after every home game, keeping the switchboard open late in case someone needed to contact a team member. When games were away, she always watched them on television when she arrived at home.

Helen showed no intention of ever leaving her post working for her beloved Sox. She was at work and in true form on the Monday before her death on Tuesday, October 2, 2001, one month to the day after she celebrated her 60th year with the Red Sox. She was 85.

While the Red Sox were Helen’s extended family, she gave the same devotion, loyalty, and love to her nieces and nephews. “Aunt Honey” was dedicated to her late sister’s children, referring to them as “her kids.” She was generous and thoughtful of them, often checking on them from time to time. Christmas with Aunt Honey was a traditional observance for many years.

Helen was also an accomplished seamstress and she loved sewing. She learned by watching her mother as a young girl, and even sewed her own doll clothes. Helen could be counted on to mend anything and often knit special items for friends and family, such as an afghan for a new baby and the occasional extra-special sweater. At work, she knitted a sweater for every Red Sox player who left to fight in World War II or Korea and worked on sewing numbers on the backs of players’ uniforms. Red Sox staffers would often turn to Helen when they had sewing needs and she was happy. She also recently worked sewing small American flags on Sox uniforms in remembrance of those who died on September 11, 2001.

Helen Beatrice Robinson was born in Boston on December 29, 1915. She was a resident of Milton, and formerly a longtime resident of Dorchester where she attended school at St. Gregory’s. She was a parishioner at St. Mary’s of the Hills in Milton.

Helen is survived by William E. Clegg of Lyme, New Hampshire; Phillip R. Clegg of Long Island, New York; Mary N. McClelland of Pasadena, Maryland; Edward T. Clegg of Standish, Maine; Helen E. “Honey” Clegg of North Attleboro, Massachusetts; Nancy G. Fitzgerald of San Juan Capistrano, California; and many other nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Helen was preceded in death by her mother and father, Mary and William; her brothers and sisters, Grace A., Elizabeth, Thomas (Tom), and William; and her nephew, Richard H. Clegg.

A wake is scheduled for Friday, October 5, 2001, 4-8 p.m., at John C. Mulry Funeral Home, 223 Neponset Avenue, Dorchester, Massachusetts. Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday, October 6, 8 a.m., at the funeral home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Saturday, 8:45 a.m., at St. Mary of the Hills Church, Milton. Arrangements entrusted to John C. Mulry Funeral Home, Dorchester, Massachusetts.

In keeping with Helen’s love for the Boston Red Sox, memorial contributions are appreciated to The Jimmy Fund, c/o Mike Andrews, 375 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02215. The Jimmy Fund supports the fight against cancer in children and adults at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, helping to raise the chances of survival for children and adults with cancer around the world.