Helen Deneff

1921 - 2022

Helen Deneff
March 24, 1921 - March 12, 2022
Sacramento, California - Helen Deneff passed away peacefully on March 12, just 12 days shy of her 101st birthday. She is survived by a daughter, Joyce Carboni, a son, James Deneff, her granddaughter, Kristin Lunardi and great-grandson, Anthony Lunardi. Born in Madison Illinois, of parents emigrated from Eastern Europe, Helen's early life was difficult. Soon after the start of the Great Depression of 1929, she was sent to live in an orphanage, until the parents could recover financially. This terrible experience could have made her a bitter and unforgiving person; on the contrary, she grew to become a woman singularly devoted to the care and protection of her family. Helen was an extraordinary homemaker in all its aspects, and was known for her keen attention to detail, practicality, and powers of organization. She was always looking for the healthiest ways to prepare food, loving to read about advances in health and science, was an ardent follower of current events; she had a creative streak in her, engaging in sewing and made her own greeting cards, which delighted all members of the family. When her husband Daniel retired in 1972, the two of them took the opportunity to travel to many countries around the world. Always the strong, independent-minded person that she was, she drove her car until she was 97. She remained living alone in her house until almost 99, and even within her assisted living facility, she remained mostly independent to the end. As she became less able to perform the ordinary tasks of daily life, she became less mobile and energetic. She kept persevering, however, enduring many trips to the hospital, only to find new ways to adapt to increased limitation. We feel it is this spirit, to endure in the face of challenge, which allowed her to live over a century. This unassuming but loving woman was a huge presence in our family and will be dearly missed by all.