Helen Leona Gorman

Helen Leona Rains was born in Reinhardt, Texas, on February 15, 1930, the fourth child of Clifford Newton

“Buddy” Rains and Mayme Crosby Rains, and grew up on a family farm in Flower Mound, part of the last generation of Americans to have this experience.

Helen attended elementary grades at Old Donald School, junior high at Grapevine School, and in 1948

graduated from Lewisville School, as one of the first classes that required 12th grade for high school. She

then went to North Texas State College and roomed with her sister, Edna Earle. She majored in Art and

received a teaching certificate in just three years, earning her Bachelors degree in 1951. While in

college she met John L. Gorman, Jr., dated for a while until he was drafted into the Army after he

graduated, and continued a long range romance largely through correspondence while John served at

the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland. They became engaged and Helen converted to John’s Roman Catholic faith.

Helen and John married on June 14th, Flag Day,1952, in Philadelphia, Pa, at the church of John’s best friend, Frank Campellone, whose large Italian - American family took John and Helen under their generous wings for the first year of their marriage. Photos of the wedding show this handsome young Texas couple surrounded by what appear to be extras from “The Godfather”. The couple moved back to the Dallas area after John’s discharge from the Army. Then they moved to Houston and lived near Hobby Airport for several years. Both John’s brother, Jim, and Helens brother, Doyle, lived there after getting out of college and the Army respectively. Helen spent much of her adult life as a homemaker and active mother to her kids. She taught religious education for years at St. Thomas More Catholic Church where she and John were founding members. Helen ushered for theatrical events around Houston at The Alley & The Arena Theaters. She became quite accomplished at oil painting during the 1970’s and many of her works hung on the walls of her kids and John’s various offices.

She began working for the Houston Convention Council as her children grew more independent, for twenty years. John and Helen spent much of their leisure time as Mr. and Mrs. Tomato on the family estate, “Heartland”, near Somerville, Texas.

In the late 1990s, Helen was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease and slowly lost much of her memory and function, but she continued to know and enjoy her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren long after so much of her life had been eroded away by the Parkinsons.

She is survived by her beloved husband, John L., her children JL (Larry) Gorman III, & wife Faye, of Austin, Gregory Paul Gorman & wife Michele, of College Station, Michael David Gorman & wife Barbara, of Burleson, and Lu Antoinette (LuAnn) Gorman of Houston, as well as seven grandchildren, Courtney, Kristen, Monica, Matthew, David, Sarah, and Caitlin, & their spouses, Brian, Victor, Ellen, & Richard and seven great-grandchildren, her sister Edna Earle Waite, and brothers Doyle Ray Rains and Ronnie Mac Rains. Brother-In-Law James David Gorman & wife Deborah, of Houston.

The family thanks the many extended family members, friends, neighbors, and ministries of St. Thomas More who have been so supportive, especially in the last few weeks.

And to our parent’s dedicated caregivers & nurses, Deborah, Mary, Gladis, Maria, Erica, and Nurse Mary. Love has been expressed through the many visits, kind words, prayers, and offers of support during this difficult time.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 1pm on Saturday, December 29th, 2012 at St Thomas More Catholic Church. Graveside service at Grove Hill Cemetary in Dallas at 1pm on Monday, December 31, 2012.

Helen’s children will always cherish her kindness, care,

loopy sense of humor, and the dedication she brought to the monumental task of homemaking, which is, after all, the making of a home.