Helen was born in Dorchester to the late Francis and Marion Dowd (Karcher). She graduated from Boston Teachers College in 1958.
She served as a schoolteacher for forty-four years. She began her career in Weymouth. Soon after moving to Hyannis with her family, she began her long tenure with Barnstable Public Schools. Her assignment at Barnstable-West Barnstable Elementary lasted over thirty years. She then taught at the fifth grade annex in Hyannis. She retired in 2002.
Helen was known for her taste in literature and film. She wrote short stories and essays. She was an amateur historian. Her interest in history motivated much of her travel. Indeed, trips for Helen were not merely vacations but also opportunities for study and exploration. She drove throughout the Northeast of the United States and the Maritime Provinces of Canada. She visited California several times. She traveled to Alaska. She also visited Great Britain, Ireland, the countries of Scandinavia, and Russia.
She was a welcoming, generous hostess and a reliable confidant. She was a thoughtful conversationalist.
Helen was predeceased by her husband, James, her sister, Eleanor Eastman, and her brother, Robert Dowd.
Helen is survived by her son James D. Walsh, Jr., his wife Franny (Smith), and their daughter, Genevieve, of Plympton, MA; son Robert G. Walsh, of Hyannis, his daughters Christina and Grace, and his son Michael; cousin Frank Eastman, and niece Laura Dowd.
Visitation will be on Tuesday, May 11 from 4 to 8 at Doane, Beal, and Ames Funeral Home, 160 West Main Street, Hyannis. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 12 at 11:00 at Our Lady of Victory Church, 230 South Main Street, Centerville.
Donations in Helen’s memory may be made to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, 34 Washington Street, Suite310, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481
