Helen Donodeo

Helen Donodeo entered into eternal rest on May 8, 2023. A lifelong New Yorker, she was born in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan on August 16th, 1923 to Guiseppe and Lucia (DiPrima) Bongiorno. Raised in Richmond Hill and Astoria, Queens, she graduated from Bryant High School. She was a parishioner of St. Rita’s Roman Catholic Church for approximately 65 years and educated her children in New York City Catholic schools.

Helen loved the Catskills resorts, New York state parks, and day trips to beaches on Long Island. She also loved to cook for her family and always enjoyed her daily afternoon coffee. She particularly loved the music of the 1930’s through the 1950’s and would sing along with almost every song that played from the ever-present radio on top of her refrigerator. She was also an excellent dancer who won contests in high school and particularly loved dancing the Lindy. She had a sharp wit and always had a book or a puzzle nearby. She also had a love of, and commitment to, education and always strived to create an environment in her home that was conducive to learning. Most of all, she loved spending time with her husband, her children, her neighbors, and her large extended family.

Helen is preceded in death by her husband, Julius; her first husband, Francis Gioffe, who was killed in WWII; and a daughter, Paula. She will be missed by her daughter Francine; her three sons, John, Frank, and Fred, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; as well as her caretaker and friend, Cynthia Pettway, who has generously and devotedly helped care for her and Julius over nearly two decades.