Helen Schmidt Turowski  June 8, 1927 – October 27, 2024

Helen was a devoted mom to daughters Laurie and Lisa; grandmom to Melissa, James, and Mark; and great grandmom to Gregory, Carrie, Miles, Isabelle, and soon-to-arrive, Vivienne.

Helen was born in Locus Point, Baltimore, on June 8, 1927, to Helen Wagner Schmidt and Josef Schmidt. She was baptized at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, also in Locust Point, and received a Catholic education, including graduating from Seton High School in 1945.

Helen had two siblings: a brother, Joseph, and a sister, Dolores, both of whom predeceased her.

After high school, Helen enrolled in nursing school at Mercy Hospital, intending to serve as a nurse in World War II. The war ended before she graduated, so she practiced nursing at Mercy Hospital until she retired as a nursing supervisor in 1987.

Helen met her husband, Melvin, also of Locust Point, in the early 1950s. They married in 1958 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. Laurie came along in 1959. Two years later, in 1961, Lisa made her appearance. In 1963, while the children were toddlers, the family relocated from South Baltimore to Carney. Mom and Dad thought the country life would be better for the children. (Mom passed away in the home she had lived in for 61 years).

Helen was widowed in 2000, having just celebrated her 42nd wedding anniversary.

Besides her family, Helen had many interests, including singing in both the Handel Choir and the Saint Isaac Jogues Church choir, and being an active volunteer in the Mercy Hospital Nurses Alumnae Association. Charities were important to her as well. She knew she had many blessings in her life, and so she believed it was her "mission" to help others. She was especially fond of charities devoted to military vets, ill children, and animals.

She was also fond of travel – she and her family took many trips to various cities both in the U.S. and abroad. She especially loved England and was a self-proclaimed Anglophile.

In her later years, when travel became more difficult, Helen turned to her love of books. She especially enjoyed mystery and detective novels, magazines, and newspapers. She also liked watching Fox news, especially The Five.

Perhaps even greater was her love of music. She especially loved religious music and hymns, Jazz, Classical, and Josh Grobin. Music gave her joy and comfort.

Helen also loved a good catalogue shop! And she loved collecting souvenirs from places she visited – ornaments from England, magnets from U.S. vacation spots, etc.

Her family joked with her that she also 'collected people.' She loved her family, her many friends, and even acquaintances. She faithfully remembered 'her people' with greeting cards and telephone chats to mark important occasions, to say 'get well', or just to catch up. Even on her last day, Helen confirmed that her little great grands would get her Halloween cards. She never missed an occasion to let 'her people' know she was thinking of them and cared about them.

Being a sentimental person, she collected mementos and keepsakes throughout her life – newspaper articles and notices about people who were important to her, flowers from special occasions, cards and notes people had sent to her. She cherished the past.

Helen's Catholic faith guided her throughout her life. When she was able, she faithfully attended Mass at St. Isaac Jogues Church. Her reading chair at home was surrounded by many prayer booklets and devotionals. She found comfort in her relationship with Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

Helen was a kind and gentle woman, sometimes shy and self-conscious. Even on her last day she asked if she looked okay to receive company. She rarely raised her voice in anger.

And being such a loving mom, in her last days, she told her girls she was sorry they had to go through this…

Rest in Peace, Mom. We love you with all our hearts. And miss you so terribly.

We hope Heaven is beautiful

Friends may call at the family owned Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc., 1050 York Rd. (beltway exit 26) on Sunday from 3-5 PM.  A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Isaac Jogues Church on Monday at 11:00 AM, interment Gardens of Faith Cemetery.  Contributions may be made to Shriner's Hospitals for Children's Hospital or Gizmos Gift.