Helen F. (O’Rourke) Dooley

HELEN F. (O’ROURKE) DOOLEY – of Winchester, Wednesday, March 19th. Beloved wife of the late Robert L. Dooley. Devoted mother of Mary Johnson and her husband Ralph of Winchester, Robert Dooley and his wife Kathryn of Fitchburg, Michael Dooley and his wife Susan of Billerica, and Laura Dooley and Joseph Nicosia of Reading. Dear sister of James O’Rourke of Woburn and of the late Frank, Catherine, Peter, Marguerite, Elsie, John, Paul, and Thomas O’Rourke. Cherished grandmother of Meredith Blair and her husband Richard of Winchester, Kimberly Gray and her husband Todd of Billerica, Tracy Dooley of Woburn, Michael Dooley of Lowell, Matthew Dooley of Cambridge, and Brian Johnson and his wife Amy of Woburn. Proud great-grandmother of Dylan and Zachary Gray, Jack Johnson, and Joseph Blair. Also lovingly survived by several nieces and nephews. Funeral from the Lynch-Cantillon Funeral Home, 263 Main Street, Woburn on Saturday, March 22nd at 9:15 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Charles Church, 280 Main Street, Woburn at 10. Interment in Wildwood Cemetery, Winchester. Calling hours will be held on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. Remembrances may be made in Helen’s memory to the St. Charles School, 8 Myrtle Street, Woburn, MA 01801 or to the New England Center for Homeless Veterans, 17 Court Street, Boston, MA 02108.

OBITUARY:

Helen F. (O’Rourke) Dooley of Winchester, MA passed away on March 19th surrounded by her family. She was the wife of the late Robert Dooley and the loving mother of Mary Johnson and her husband Ralph of Winchester, Robert Dooley and his wife Kathryn of Fitchburg, Michael Dooley and his wife Susan of Billerica, and Laura Dooley and Joseph Nicosia of Reading. Helen was the devoted grandmother to Meredith Blair and her husband Richard of Winchester, Kimberly Gray and her husband Todd Gray of Billerica, Tracy Dooley of Woburn, Michael Dooley of Lowell, Matthew Dooley of Cambridge and Brian Johnson and his wife Amy of Woburn. She was the proud great-grandmother to Dylan and Zachary Gray, Jack Johnson and Joseph Blair. She was the dear sister of James O’Rourke of Woburn. Helen was predeceased by her sisters and brothers Frank, Catherine, Peter, Marguerite, Elsie, John, Paul, and Thomas.

Helen was born in 1919 in Scituate, MA to Peter and Mary (Flaherty) O’Rourke. In 1925 Helen and siblings moved to 32 Buckman Street, Woburn where she grew up and attended Saint Charles School, graduating in 1937.

In 1944 Helen married the love of her life Robert Dooley. After their wedding they moved to Daytona Beach until Bob’s discharge from the Army at which point Helen and Bob returned to his hometown of Winchester, where they would raise their family and build many life long memories for their children and grandchildren and Helen would spend the remainder of her days.

Helen worked at various jobs in and around Winchester including, The Watch Hand, Salada Tea and John Morgan, Esq. and in retirement Mahoney’s Rocky Ledge.

During retirement Helen had several activities that occupied her days reading, puzzles, gardening, playing the piano, and attending exercise class at the Woburn Senior Center. However, what was most important to Helen was her family, traveling and cooking. Helen loved traveling with her husband then, after his death, her brother the late Tom O’Rourke, her children and grandchildren as well as her dear friends John and Mary Jordan. Helen frequently traveled to Ireland and the Aran Islands to visit family and friends. She spent many winters traveling to Florida, and many areas around the United States including several National Parks. Other areas she toured were the Czech Republic and Austria. Cooking and family also filled many of Helen’s days with joy. Her house was the hub of the family hosting countless holiday dinners and celebrations, informal Sunday dinners and summertime cookouts. Helen had the unique ability to always have something yummy ready to put on the table when company arrived. Her cooking style could also be considered unique as recipes were viewed as “merely guidelines or suggestions” and usually anything she made never came out the same way twice. This was particularly true for her apple and pecan pies and her famous Irish Bread.

Helen’s family was her first priority. She was a devoted mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She spent endless hours caring for her family either by cooking a favorite meal and sending it to a grandchild away at college, taking them ice-skating, mending hems, or just being there to listen. The love and care that she instilled in her family was always evident, but never more so than in her last few months and days when her children worked tirelessly to care for her in the house she and Bob worked so hard to make a lasting and loving home and her grandchildren gathered by her side to surround her in love for her last days.

Helen is survived by and will be greatly missed and loved by her four children, six grandchildren and four great grandchildren, a brother James O’Rourke of Woburn and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral from the Lynch-Cantillon Funeral Home, 263 Main Street, Woburn on Saturday, March 22nd at 9:15 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Charles Church, 280 Main Street, Woburn at 10. Interment in Wildwood Cemetery, Winchester. Calling hours will be held on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. Remembrances may be made in Helen’s memory to the St. Charles School, 8 Myrtle Street, Woburn, MA 01801 or to the New England Center for Homeless Veterans, 17 Court Street, Boston, MA 02108.