Obituary of Helen Quinn

Helen Anna Quinn passed away peacefully after a very long illness on Tuesday, June 13, 2017. She was 81 years old. Helen was a woman of family and faith. She was the beloved daughter of Anna and Stanislaus (Stephen) Chapas of Brighton. She grew up and was educated in Brighton. She was a graduate of Brighton High School and was offered a scholarship to college, but chose to go to work and be with her parents. Helen stopped working with the birth of her first daughter and then she had 3 more baby girls in the course of the next 4 years. Being the mother of all girls made for a busy home, but Helen managed all their activities, sports, school work, and social events. She thrived on supporting and caring for “Her Girls”. All the girls grew up in Burlington on Cheryl Ave. It was a wonderful and supportive neighborhood where there always kids making their way from house to house, pool to pool, and playing all sorts of games in the streets in front of their homes. Helen loved how all the neighbor’s enjoyed getting together for cookouts and socials and watched over each other’s children. Her Cheryl Street home and neighbors gave her 30 wonderful years. After her children went off to school, it signaled a second phase to Helen’s life. She had more free time and wanted to fill it with as much adventure and kindness as possible. She moved to North Billerica and became active in the Senior Center where she participated in countless activities with pool, dancing, and bingo being her favorites. She started going on trips. Some trips where short like the White Mountains, Foxwood, Nova Scotia and some were much more adventurous including Australia, New Zealand, Greece, Brazil, Argentina, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. She also was a member of the Connected Catholics organization and did pilgrimages to Portugal and Israel and worked on missions in Antigua. She even drove cross country with her daughter, Diane. She relished all these experiences and traveled until her health prevented her. Helen’s later years were spent closer to home, but she still treasured simple things like a good lobster, a day at the casino, family celebrations, and Saturdays spent with her daughters. In the end, it was “Her Girls” were always there for her as she was for them. Helen was the loving and caring mother of Karen McDonough & her husband Steven Salhaney of Hingham formerly of Abington, Diane Quinn of Scottsdale, AZ, Donna Quinn of Wakefield formerly of Stoneham and Terri Quinn of Westford. Helen was the proud grandmother of Nicole, Ryan, Kaitlin, Dominique & Jacquelyn. Funeral from the Edward V Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128/95 Woburn side) on Saturday, June 17 at 8:45 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Theresa’s Church, 466 Boston Road, Billerica at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Friday 4-8 p.m. Interment in St. Joseph Cemetery, Chelmsford. In lieu of flowers memorials in Helen’s name may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 10 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701