Helene O'Connell

1931 - 2020

Helene O'Connell

Helene O'Connell, age 89, died October 28 of heart disease. Helene was a loving person who never met a stranger. She enjoyed scrapbooking and card making and produced 27 albums of her family and more than 4,000 handmade greeting cards which were donated to the gift shop at St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo, California.

Helene was born May 15, 1931 in Queens New York to Helen and Charles Gangloff. Her father died when Helene was 16 months old. Within a few years Helene's mother and new husband Arthur moved in with Helene's maternal grandmother Margaret Lunz. Helen and Arthur both worked so Helene was primarily raised by her grandmother, who taught her cooking and different kinds of needlework. Helene was also close to Helen and Arthur. Helene and Helen had fun together and liked to go into Manhattan to see shows.

Helene excelled in academics in PS 113 as well as in gymnastics and tap dance. She was very thin so some kids called her "Helene the string bean." Things got easier in Richmond Hill High School. She was associate editor of the school paper and a member of the writers' club before immersing herself in the French language. The French ambassador presented her a Cartier watch for taking first place in a citywide French contest.

Helene attended Queens College on full scholarship. After graduation, she worked as a teacher and later used her master's degree (from Villanova) as a children's librarian. She had a talent for tap dancing, piano playing and gardening. She also took to golf, water aerobics, ice skating and skiing. In California she tapped with The Syncopated Seniors. Shortly after turning 80, Helene bought herself a billiards table and frequently practiced her pool shots. Helene wanted to know the species of every bird she saw and the name of any particularly bright star in the night sky.

Helene died in her beloved Camarillo with her daughters by her side. She is survived by her youngest daughter Lauren Ross and her husband Eric, her eldest daughter Susan O'Connell and her partner Bob Kay and by her brother Arthur Rauch. Helene's husband Robert O'Connell died 8 years ago. Married for 61 years, they lived at 16 different addresses. There will be no funeral as Helene donated her body to UCLA medical school. For information about the upcoming celebration of life please contact her daughters. Donations can be made to the following organizations: Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura (https://unitarianuniversalistventura.org/); Humane Farming Association (https://www.hfa.org/); D.E.L.T.A. (Dedication and Everlasting Love To Animals) (https://deltarescue.org/); American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (https://www.aspca.org/).