Helen Margaret Kennelly

Helen was born on February 9, 1937, to Carl and Luella (Carlson) Johnson in Duluth, Minnesota.

Helen moved to Phoenix when she was very young, after living in Torrance, CA while her mother worked to support the war effort. She had a passion for learning and excelled in English. For decades her children and grandchildren came too her for help on writing assignments and many now share her writing legacy. Helen also loved music. She was first chair oboe in the inaugural Phoenix Youth Symphony, and later attended the University of Arizona on a music scholarship, and was a baton twirler and majorette for the marching band. She also enjoyed piano and guitar for fun. Helen loved singing so much she was a member of Sweet Adelines for decades, both in quartets and choir. It was while attending U of A she met her first husband, Michael Kennelly, who is the father of her six children. Helen raised her children, first in Maryvale, then in the Encanto area of Phoenix. Her passion for learning would take her back to school after her children were born, starting with any classes at Phoenix College she could manage while working and single parenting. She finished her Bachelors Degree in Anthropology through Northern Arizona University. All in all it took her forty years perseverance through four community colleges, and three universities to obtain her degree, and it was one of her proudest moments. Helen inspired children and grandchildren to never give up on what was important to them, and her passion for anthropology and archeology even inspired granddaughter, Nicole, to follow in her footsteps.

During these years, Helen worked for the Arizona Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, and The Arizona State Fair, as an Executive Assistant, while also ushering at Phoenix Symphony Hall, and starting her own business providing ushers, security, and concessionaires to various events around Arizona. This business emerged into a successful payroll company. She began, All Events Services, LLC, to empower her daughters, who worked beside her for nearly twenty years, and to be sure they would be provided for after her death. Helen could have been a modern day suffragette, supporting causes that elevated women. Outside of work, Helen was a president in the Jaydette organization, and a member of The Third Order of St Francis. She was also very involved in Girl Scouting as a leader for all three daughters, passing on her love of camping, backpacking, baton twirling, and crafts.

From jumping out of airplanes, flying Ultralites, snorkeling and swimming throughout the Pacific, to backpacking, hot air ballooning and sliding down glaciers, Helen loved travel, adventure and excitement. She even helped build a section of the Rails to Trails system in Colorado. She married her current husband, David Pack, who affectionately called her LoveDuck, on January 2, 1995. Together they traveled the world on Earthwatch Expeditions, including Romania, England, Roatonga, Belize, and Majorca, where they participated in the excavation of many archaeological sites. Helen even uncovered a nine foot mammoth tusk. A favorite and regular travel destination was Hawaii, especially the Island of Kauai.

Helen was preceded in death by her father, Carl, mother, Luella, daughter, Kathleen, and great-grandson, Trevor (Kathleen). Helen is survived by her husband, David Pack, her children, Kevin Kennelly, Jim (Margie) Kennelly, Brian (Robin) Kennelly, Mary (Michael) O’Day, and Bridget (Don) Kennelly, and step children, Piper (Tye) Pack-Smith, Sadie Pack, and Hope (Matthew) Dehait. Surviving grandchildren Jeremy, Justin, Mike, Tom, Carole, Christen, John, Sean, Logan, Colan, Nicole, Heather, Christopher, Josef, and Jonathan; step grandchildren, Jordan, Stevie, Nyle, Augustin, Avery, Annika, and twenty-two great-grandchildren. Helen is also survived by brother Ralph Cunningham, and sister Patty Neubert, and brother-in-laws, David Neubert and Harvey Pack. She was lovingly cared for, for seven years, by Boni Deiparine and Shirley Salom, in their home.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org