Helen Marie McNamara

Helen McNamara, 84, of Beavercreek, OH, passed away at Miami Valley Hospital on Sunday, May 17th, 2015. Born Helen Golden on May 2, 1931, in New Rochelle, NY. She was the youngest of four children born to William and Mary Rose Golden. She was raised Larchmont, NY, West Palm Beach, FL, and Hyannis Port, MA and attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart. She married her husband of 62 years, Col. Francis J. McNamara, USAF, on June 18, 1953. They have lived in the Dayton area for the past 52 years, many of those years in Huber Heights, where they raised their children.Helen’s life was her family, friends and community. She raised seven children and delighted in doting on her nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She provided each of her children with extraordinarily joyful childhoods and sustained them through adolescence and the college years. She showered them with pride as they pursued their professional careers. In recent years, she took pleasure in watching her grandchildren pursue their education and careers.Helen is survived by her husband, Frank, children, Jean, of Portland, OR, who served as her daily caregiver in her final years, Kathleen (Daniel Clawson) of Fort Collins, CO; Michael (Mary Sue) of Tuscon, AZ; Kevin (Lori Patton), also of Tucson, AZ; Joseph (Elsa) of Charlotte, NC; Donald (Mallory) of Richmond, VA and James (Brenda) of Chicago, IL. Her grandchildren include Matthew (Marianne) and Michael Clawson, Claire and David McNamara, Kelsey (Emmett) Gallagher, Connor McNamara, and Sean, Ryan and Daniel McNamara and her great-grandchildren, Owen and James Gallagher. She is also survived by her brother, William (Betty) Golden, and her sister, Alice Jane Malloy. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Thomas Golden, and sister, Rosemary Guinan.Helen supported her husband and sons’ year-round love of sports. She was always open, warm-hearted, compassionate and enthusiastic. She was a kind friend to all she met. Her friends came from all walks of life. She was loyal to countless, enduring friendships.Helen was a long-time member of St. Peter’s Church and a supporter of St Peter’s School. As her children went off to college, she poured her energy into her community, serving for many years as the Juvenile Intervention Coordinator and Truant Officer for Huber Heights City Schools, a position that gave her great fulfillment. Always eager to take on new challenges and adventures, she took up the clarinet and drums and played in the New Horizons Band for several years. She was a life-long, avid swimmer. Helen rarely shied away from living life to the fullest and was filled with humor, enthusiasm, warmth and generosity, for which she will be always remembered. A Memorial Mass will be held at St. Peters Church at 11:30 am on Friday, May 22, 2015 in Huber Heights, followed by a reception in the Father Victor Ries Conference Center at the St. Peter Parish.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Little Sisters of the Poor,

www.littlesistersofthepoor.org/donate, or Catholic Charities USA, www.catholiccharitiesUSA.org/Donate.