Helen Stasia Taylor

Helen S. (Martin) Taylor, a former Warwick City Councilwoman, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of Monday, February 16, 2026, at Philip Hulitar Hope Hospice in Providence. She was predeceased by the love of her life Leo W. Garrity to whom she shared 51 years of companionship prior to his passing in 2024. Born in Providence, she was the oldest of two daughters born to the late Earl J. and Stasia H. (Balkun) Martin.

Helen was the devoted mother of Sheri H. Conley and her husband, Peter and Kelly Taylor and her husband, Jason Oliver; cherished 'Mama' of Taylor and Brandon Conley and the aunt of Charles 'Chuck' Engley and David Engley, who she thought more of as sons. She was predeceased by her sister Irene Engley.

Helen was a graduate of Warwick Veterans Memorial High School, and University of Rhode Island. During this time she was a model for Seventeen Magazine - this eventually led to her running the Miss West Bay and Miss Rhode Island Pageants.

An entrepreneur her whole life, she founded many businesses throughout Rhode Island. Between Providence and Cranston, she opened the Pizza Villa, Forget-Me-Not Flower Shoppe, The Pink Tulip, Weddings Made in Heaven and Lily's + Lace - the last of which was given the "Proud Business Award" by Keep Providence Beautiful in 1991. She also established Tropical Interiors which provided interior landscape and design to many businesses in cities

and towns throughout Rhode Island. Her main achievement with Tropical Interiors was her long standing account with the Warwick Mall where her designs and creativity transformed the mall for each holiday.

When she wasn't creating new business endeavors she was deeply devoted to her community. She sat on numerous boards throughout the years; Rhode Island Historical Society, Keep Providence Beautiful and Rhode Island Heart Association. During her time on the Rhode Island Heart Association board she facilitated fundraisers and was the auction chair for the Heart Ball. Some of her finest achievements are being one of the first women elected to the Providence Rotary Club, which at the time was a "men's" organization and then becoming the first female President of the Providence Sunrise Rotary Club. She was also part of the League of Women's Voters where she was then elected to be the President of the West Bay chapter.

Fascinated by politics from a young age it only made sense she would go on to be a Warwick City Councilwoman from 2003 - 2010. During her time as a councilwoman, she conducted a study on the T.F Greene Airport and the effects the airplane emissions had on surrounding homes and businesses. She discovered people around the airport were constantly ingesting fine particulate matter which was cancer causing. When she wasn't a councilwoman, she was an honorary campaign manager for Congressman Eddie Beard. In 2012, she was elected as a statewide delegate to attend the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina where she would represent Rhode Island. While at the DNC she met Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy, adding to her list of influential people she had met throughout the years.

Although busy with her career and volunteer work, family was always her most important cause. She was fierce, feisty and fought for everything and everyone she loved and cared about.

Her funeral will be held Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 11am in the Thomas & Walter Quinn Funeral Chapel, 2435 Warwick Ave., Warwick. Interment will immediately follow in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston. Calling hours will be held in the funeral home on Monday, February 23, 2026, from 4-7pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to the Philip Hulitar Hope Health Hospice, 1085 N. Main St., Providence, RI 02904 are greatly appreciated.