Helen Marie Robb(nee Elena Evangelisto),

died peacefully in her home at Edenwald Retirement Community in Towson Maryland on Sunday, July 27,2025. She was the beloved wife of Norbert Thomas Robb, devoted  mother of Joseph Robb, Janice Robb (Richard Montoni Jr), Mary Robb Gordon (Don), and Elaine Robb Senseney (Ed); loving grandmother of Cara Dolan, Caitlin Ferrer (Alex), Michael Gordon (Candice), Joseph Senseney (Rachel), Anthony Gordon(Christine), Matthew Senseney (Meghan), and Elena Senseney; cherished great-grandmother of Callahan, Elijah, Jonah, Luke, Theodore, Noah, Layla, Logan, Gracie and Everett.

The family will receive friends at the Ruck Funeral Home, 1050 York Road Towson Maryland on Sunday August 3rd between 2-5 pm. A Funeral Mass and celebration of her life will be at the Immaculate Conception Church in Towson, Md on Monday August 4, 2025 at 10 am. Inurnment will follow at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Gilchrist Hospice or Stella Maris Hospice.

Helen was born on August 24, 1925 in Juniata, Altoona, PA to parents Carmen Antonio and Maria Durante Evangelisto. The Evangelistos had emigrated to the US from the Provence of Abruzzi, Italy in 1913. Carmen worked as a laborer in the Pennsylvania Railroad Shop in Juniata, while Maria kept the household and their seven children in order at home, just across the street from the shop.

Helen was the sixth of seven children. The family lived in a large, frame house with five bedrooms, including an attic which was often used as a bedroom. The Evangelistos took in borders during the Depression to help with living expenses, so there were often many people around the large dining room table. Helen learned cooking at her mother's side by watching and occasionally being allowed to
roll her delicious meatballs. In those days, Helen made friends with her neighbor, Barbara Winter, who was an only child living in a household with parents and grandparents. The Winters were a wealthy family with a beautiful home that intrigued Helen. She liked to go there to dinner when Barbara invited her. The two remained lifelong friends, keeping in close touch over the many years that followed until Barbara's death in 2015.

Helen attended Logan School and McKinley Middle School in Juniata. She later attended Altoona High School, graduating in 1943. When the United States entered World War II in 1941, military uniforms were seen everywhere. Women had important, but limited career choices at this time, including teaching, nursing, and secretarial work. For Helen, age 17 in 1943, her career choice was nursing. She was accepted at Harrisburg Polyclinic Hospital's Nursing School, which she liked from the start. She always said that nursing "was in me". Her three-year program included a nurses' dormitory lifestyle, which she remembered as being very strict and disciplined. She graduated in 1946 and accepted a job at Gallinger Hospital in Washington, DC, remaining there for six years. During this time, she would often visit her sister, Mary, also a nurse, living in Baltimore, MD. It was Mary and her sister-in-law, Ceal Prucha, who were attempting some matchmaking between Ceal's nephew, Norbert Robb, and Helen. It was only after a date with Norb to see Guy Lombardo's orchestra that their relationship became very steady.

In 1952, Helen accepted a nursing job at the Veteran's Hospital in Baltimore, taking classes at night toward a bachelor's degree at the University of Maryland. Norbert was always there after class to pick her up and take her home. By 1953, the two became engaged and on August 1 that year were married at St. Wenceslaus Church in Baltimore, with their reception at Hasslinger's Restaurant. They honeymooned in the Poconos before finally settling into their first home in Loch Raven Apartments.

In the years that followed they had four children: Joseph (1954), Janice (1957), Mary Lou (1958) and Elaine (1960). Their first home was in the Ednor Gardens neighborhood in Baltimore (1955-1967), and later to Stoneleigh in Baltimore County(1967-2008).

Helen worked as a nurse for Dr. Everett Diggs in 1974. From 1977-1988 she enjoyed her job as a school nurse at St. Pius X School, where her children had once been students. Upon her retirement, she found what was probably her most beloved job - that of a hospice volunteer at Stella Maris Hospice from 1990 - 2014.

Helen and Norbert moved to Edenwald Retirement Community in 2008, and continued to enjoy an active lifestyle with world traveling and visiting relatives, children, and friends. Helen continued to pursue her many activities, including gardening, garden club, flower arranging, knitting, sewing, and bridge. But her greatest joy was always bringing family together for big dinners (often Italian) and birthday and holiday celebrations, for which she will always be fondly remembered.