WINTHROP – Helen Marie (Barry) Siragusa, 100, of Hubbard Lane passed away Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, at home.

She was born on May 23, 1923 to the late Margaret (Lynch) and Laurence Barry. She grew up in New Jersey, and was a graduate of West Side High School. She received her Nursing Degree from All Souls Hospital School of Nursing. Helen proudly served as a U.S. Naval Nurse from 1945-1952 and was stationed at St. Albans Naval Hospital and later at the Marine Air Corp. Station at Cherry Point, N.C.

She professed as a Lay Carmelite at Mt. Carmel Monastery in Williamstown, Mass. in 1957 and remained active in the Carmelites into her 100th year. Helen was active in her church and, through 2019, attended multiple masses each week. Helen had a heart for young girls with unwanted pregnancies and was a longtime volunteer at Birthright and Brightside. She was an active communicant of St. Thomas Church and served in leadership roles in the Women’s Club and the Parish Council.

She was a longtime CCD teacher at St. Thomas, St. Francis Xavier Church, and St. Francis of Assisi Church in Florida, also volunteering in soup kitchens in the latter two churches.

Helen’s lifelong love of music was a joy to her and her children. She sang in the Pioneer Valley Chapter of Sweet Adelines of Springfield and more recently she performed with the Noteables in Winthrop. She had an amazing capacity to remember the words to any song she learned.

She was the beloved widow of James “Gus” J. Siragusa, Jr. who passed away in 2006; loving mother of Kathy Roberts (Dan), Patricia Engdahl (Robert), Barbara Moody (Stan), James Siragusa (Linda), Laurence Siragusa (Nancy), Mary Beth Lesko (Richard), Sean Siragusa (Andrea), and Sheila Siragusa (Liesel); devoted grandmother of 12; great-grandmother of seven; and caring sister of her late siblings Laurence, Donald, and David Barry, Jane Martin, and Marilyn Sipple. She also leaves many nieces and nephews.

Calling hours will be Monday Nov. 27 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Toomey-O’Brien Funeral Home, 1043 Westfield St., West Springfield, Mass. The Funeral Mass will be Tuesday Nov. 28 at 10 a.m. at St. Thomas Church followed by the burial at St. Thomas Cemetery.

For more information please visit http://www.toomeyobrien.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Helen’s name may be made to

Sisters of St. Joseph,

577 Carew St.

Springfield, MA 01104 or

Sisters of Providence

Riverdale Rd.

Holyoke, Mass.

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