Obituary of Helen Diggins

Helen Diggins, a homemaker and secretary, passed away at her home surrounded by her family on Monday afternoon, October 7, 2013. She was 69 years old. Helen was born in Cambridge, the daughter of the late Joseph (Daniel) and Helen Murphy. She grew up in Inman Square section of Cambridge. She was a graduate of St. Mary’s High School. She had worked as a secretary at Boston Gas for almost 20 years prior to having children. Motherhood was a full time job for Helen. She loved caring for her children and later for her grandchildren and nieces and nephews. Babysitting was never an imposition, it was a gift. As a mother, she was always there to support her children. She was at their baseball, soccer, basketball and football games. She drove them to all their practices, and even traveled all over the country for her daughter’s club soccer games. It was simply that unselfish love a mother has for those they care for, always placing their family’s needs and interests above their own. Helen’s great and longtime friends, who enjoyed shopping and sharing each other’s company. She enjoyed tea with her neighbor, as well as organizing the yearly Christmas neighborhood dinner. She loved going to the beach with Good Harbor and Wingaersheek Beach being some of her favorite destinations. She loved family vacations down the cape, but also was just as happy to be at home with her family. Helen was the loving wife of 37 years of John Diggins. She was the loving mother of Meaghan Murphy & her husband Edward of Windham, NH, Jackie Diggins & his wife Lyndsay of Billerica, and Kara Imlach & her husband Eric of Burlington. She was the adoring grandmother of Emmy and Elle Diggins. She was the sister of Doris Murphy of Cambridge, the late Lawrence Murphy and Janet Doyle and sister-in-law of Paul Doyle of Cambridge. Helen was also survived by many nieces, nephews, and friends. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn Street, Burlington (exit 34 off Rt. 128/95, Woburn side) on Saturday, October 12 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Malachy Church, 99 Bedford St., Burlington at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Friday from 4-8 p.m. Interment in Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington. Memorials in Helen’s name may be made to VNA of Middlesex East & Visiting Nurse Hospice, 607 North Ave, Suite 17, Wakefield, MA 01880. Family Remembrance by Kara Thank you all for coming, for everyone that brought food, sent cards, and had our family in their thoughts and prayers, we can’t thank you enough. I am going to do my best to keep it together up here. My mother would be so proud of me today speaking on her behalf. We spent years travelling around together and she always said “Are you Ever gonna to talk to me”? But that was the good thing about being with my mother, words didn’t need to be spoken. Helen was born on Sept 7, 1944, in Cambridge MA, to Joe and Helen Murphy. She was the youngest of four children. She lived in Cambridge for the first 30 years of her life. During her childhood she spent most summers in Billerica with family and friends. . Nights at the Casino and dancing in the streets of Falmouth Heights brought her and Johnny D. together for 37 years of marriage. I always thought it was Dennis but what does the baby of the family know. She left Cambridge for Roslindale which at that time was a big deal to cross the river. After a year, Helen took one of her famous road trips and surprised my dad with the purchase of a lot at 6 Algonquin Drive for their first anniversary. Their 36 years in Burlington brought three children, Meaghan, Jackie, and me and two beautiful granddaughters, Emmy & Elle. We all thought we were the favorite, but Helen had no favorites, she had a way of making us all feel very special. . Family was very important to my mother. Growing up everyone always thought she had many kids but there were just the three of us. She loved having her nieces and nephews around whether it was a Sunday dinner, a trip to the Cape or Florida; we did it with all of us. That’s the way Helldog liked it! No matter what, everyone was involved in everything!! In Helens house you couldn’t have a family dinner unless there were 30 people involved. My mother opened up her home to everybody!! Holidays were very special; the house was always filled with people, food, and drinks….lots of them. Most parents couldn’t wait for their kids to move out of their house. On the other hand my mother couldn’t wait for us to move home. When I was 25 I told her I was finally moving out. After three days of hearing how she didn’t want me to leave I came home to bags full of things for my new apartment. Her bark was always worse than her bite, but her heart was full of love. . Helen took care of everybody, even if it was her big sister Doris or her lifelong friend, Mary Ann. She cared for her nieces and nephews and even their kids as if they were her own. . My mom was a fighter she battled breast cancer 26 years ago and beat it all while raising a family and not missing a step. Two years ago she was diagnosed with lung cancer just 6 1/2 years after she lost her sister and best friend, Janet to the same disease. From that point on it was my dad’s turn to take care of mom. God forbid if you showed up at their house at 8 o’clock you’d be interrupting their nightly ice cream sundaes and TV time…or what I should really say is DVR time, they tape every show on TV. And dad don’t worry….. We will be by to watch Glee. This is a sad day but I choose to think that Janet greeted Helen at heaven’s door on the golf cart with a madras and brought her to mother, daddy and her brother Laurie. . Mom - We love you and we will miss you forever.