Helen M. Henry

HENRY HELEN M. HENRY, age 92, died peacefully on February 25, 2020 with her children at her side. Helen was born in Poffabro, Italy to the late Giuseppe and Italia Marcolina, and immigrated to the United States in 1930 with her mother and her late sister, Severina. The family settled in Chestnut Hill where her father was a stone mason. She attended John Story Jenks School, graduated from Germantown High School, and immediately started working as a secretary at Merck, Sharp & Dohme. Helen later married the late William F. Henry, moved to Oreland where they raised four children. Helen was known as the Tulip Queen of Drayton Road because of the multitude of tulips in her garden. People looked forward to seeing her flowers in bloom throughout the year. Helen developed a love of opera, listening to Italian opera on the radio with her father. She was a great patron of the performing arts, supporting the Philadelphia Opera, Ballet, and Orchestra. Never forgetting her roots, Helen traveled back to Italy several times to see family and her birthplace. She was a lifelong member of the Venetian Social Club, active member of EFASCE di Philadelphia, and later in life, went back to school to learn how to read and write Italian fluently. She traveled extensively throughout the United States and Europe with her husband and friends after retirement. Helen is pre-decreased by her husband (William F.), father, mother, and two sisters (Severina and Mary M. Collias). She survived by her sister, Alberta M. Milovsky, children, Anne L. , Robert J., Carol (William Cormier), Janet (Greg Cahill), granddaughter Madeleine (her Maddy), nephew Mark Milovsky (Mary Ellen), and great nieces and nephews, Laura, Eric, Jessica and Emily Milovsky. Visitation will take place on Friday, February 28 from 7-9 PM at Jacob F. Ruth Funeral Directors, 8413 Germantown Ave., Phila. PA 19118. There will be a visitation Saturday, February 29, from 11 am – 12Noon followed by a Funeral Mass at 12Noon at Holy Martyrs Roman Catholic Church, 120 Allison Road, Oreland, PA 19075. Interment at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Donations can be made in honor of Helen to Hanjani Institute for Gynecologic Oncology, Asplundh Cancer Pavilion, 3941 Commerce Ave, Willow Grove, PA 19090.