1936
Helen
2014
Helen Powers
February 11, 1936 — September 19, 2014
A woman of unimpeachable integrity and brilliant intellect, Helen R. Powers (nee Penza), died this past Friday afternoon of a respiratory illness while surrounded by her family at Paoli Hospital.
Helen was born in West Philadelphia in 1936. The daughter of James Penza and Helen Welsh, and the youngest of five siblings, Helen was an excellent student. She attended the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur and Chestnut Hill College, both on scholarship, and went on to a career in the computer sciences. Among her first positions was with Remington Rand doing programming on the UNIVAC, the second commercial computer ever produced in the United States. She later applied her skills for many years as a programmer and systems analyst with Penn Mutual Life Insurance.
In 1956, Helen met her husband and love of her life, Richard A. Powers III. The two married in 1958 and shared over fifty years of love for each other and for their children. Helen encouraged her children to pursue the lives and occupations they most desired, supporting them as they built careers in their chosen artistic and professional fields.
Her vices were generally limited to caramel, some red wine, and a post-dinner glass of Irish Mist, and she derived great pleasure from them all. She will be remembered not just for her unparalleled strength of character in the face of deepest adversity, but for the incisive wit she could wield in those same trying times. She leaves behind a husband, two daughters, two sons, seven grandchildren, and a sister, all of who will miss her dearly, and who are thankful for every single moment they got to share with her.
Services will be held on Thursday, September 25 at Saint Norbert Church, 50 Leopard Rd, Paoli, PA with family visitation at 10 AM and Mass at 11 AM.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Elwyn organization's Million And One Smiles Foundation in honor of the great support they have given to Helen and Richard's son Ted, The Scleroderma Research Foundation, or The Pulmonary Hypertension Association.
Helen was born in West Philadelphia in 1936. The daughter of James Penza and Helen Welsh, and the youngest of five siblings, Helen was an excellent student. She attended the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur and Chestnut Hill College, both on scholarship, and went on to a career in the computer sciences. Among her first positions was with Remington Rand doing programming on the UNIVAC, the second commercial computer ever produced in the United States. She later applied her skills for many years as a programmer and systems analyst with Penn Mutual Life Insurance.
In 1956, Helen met her husband and love of her life, Richard A. Powers III. The two married in 1958 and shared over fifty years of love for each other and for their children. Helen encouraged her children to pursue the lives and occupations they most desired, supporting them as they built careers in their chosen artistic and professional fields.
Her vices were generally limited to caramel, some red wine, and a post-dinner glass of Irish Mist, and she derived great pleasure from them all. She will be remembered not just for her unparalleled strength of character in the face of deepest adversity, but for the incisive wit she could wield in those same trying times. She leaves behind a husband, two daughters, two sons, seven grandchildren, and a sister, all of who will miss her dearly, and who are thankful for every single moment they got to share with her.
Services will be held on Thursday, September 25 at Saint Norbert Church, 50 Leopard Rd, Paoli, PA with family visitation at 10 AM and Mass at 11 AM.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to The Elwyn organization's Million And One Smiles Foundation in honor of the great support they have given to Helen and Richard's son Ted, The Scleroderma Research Foundation, or The Pulmonary Hypertension Association.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Helen Powers, please visit our flower store.
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