Helen R. Smith

Helen (Helena Medeiros Ramalho) was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts on November 10th, 1927, to Augusto (Gus) M. Ramalho (Father) and Maria (Lucy) L. Mendonca (Mother). As a child, Helen lived in a three-story row house along with her parents, her older brother Ralph (deceased) her grandparents and other family. At 16 years old Helen began working at Cherry's Store in New Bedford as a stock girl.

Helen's relatives were hard-working, talented, musical people, immigrants (from the Azores Islands of Portugal), and sons and daughters of immigrants to the United States. At 18 years old Helen traveled to California with her Aunt Mary and cousin Christine, lived with her Uncle George and family in the San Diego area, and worked at the Pacific Tuna Canning Company as a cleaner, inspector, and packer and at Grayson's Department store as a stock girl, salesgirl, cashier, and elevator operator.

Helen's charming nature, beauty, and singing and guitar playing attracted the attention of a particular Staff Sargent in the U.S. Marine Corps who had recently returned from fighting in WWII in the Solomon Islands, Ralph O. Smith. Ralph was working with Helen's Uncle George at the USMC Recruit depot as a cabinet maker. Helen and Ralph fell in love and were married in June of 1947.

Helen and Ralph had five children (Dianne, Jean, Stephen (deceased), Robert, and Danny (deceased), five grandchildren (Brian, Dawn, Christopher, Nathan, Amberly), and 5 great-grandchildren (Derrick, Kendall, Daniel, Fae, and Augustine).

Helen was an excellent Mother and Wife and really loved and cared for her immediate and extended family. She loved hosting family parties where there was always delicious food and singing, music and dancing. Helen had quite a repertoire of Portuguese folk songs and popular songs from the 40s and 50s which she sang and played on the guitar, Helen had great faith in Jesus and was known for saying prayers in Portuguese such as "Meu Deus, paciencia" (My God, give me patience). She was a very patient, forgiving, non-intruding, loving, fair person.

Helen's husband Ralph passed away in 2007, and she continued to live in the family home in Spring Valley with her oldest daughter, Dianne for several years, then moved to an assisted living home in San Marcos California. In June of 2025 She and Dianne moved to Sun City West, Arizona to be close to Jean and Mike and Christopher and family.

Helen passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 15, 2025, at 98 years old.

Helen's ashes will be interred next to her husband at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma, California this summer.

Helen often said in her later years, "I ask God, why am I still here?". We believe she lived a long and wonderful life and is an inspiration to us all.