Helen Callaghan

Helen Brupbacher Callaghan passed away on Thursday, January 21, 2016, age 86. Beloved wife of William J. Callaghan. Mother of Cathleen C. Joubert, James Callaghan, Patrick Callaghan and Clay Callaghan. Sister of Elsie B. Martinez, Benjamin Brupbacher and Daniel Brupbacher. Grandmother of Christine Joubert Weimer, Erin Joubert, Renee Joubert, Megan Callaghan, Dylan Callaghan, Peyton Callaghan, Kassidy Callaghan, Chloe Callaghan & Sophie Callaghan. Great grandmother of Daniel Weimer III & Charlotte Weimer.

Helen grew up swimming with her siblings under the coaching of her mother Geraldine Brupbacher. All became champion swimmers. She broke many records as a young swimmer. She still holds the record for the Basin Canal annual 1 mile swim which she won at the age of 17. She was the youngest swimmer & beat all the women & men in that race. Her record has never been beat. They filled in the Basin Canal the next year!

She went on to college where she pursued a degree in Health & education & continued swimming & coaching others. When her mother stopped teaching summer swim lessons, Helen took over & continued to teach many New Orleans kids every summer for years. After college she began teaching in The New Orleans public school system & continued teaching until the age of 72. She spent over 20 years at L. E. Rabouin. She was very passionate about her teaching & influenced the lives of many of her students. She won teacher of the year so many times we stopped counting. After retirement she finally found time for herself & enjoyed dancing with her husband & their line dancing group 3 times a week. She loved to socialize, shop, travel & be a part of every ones lives. She looked forward to her Friday lunch with her sister Elsie & sister in law, Louise, which she continued until the last year of her life. You never really knew who would show up for the lunch. Most of the time involving their “escorts” (Leslie, Cathleen & Maria) It was often said by her children, “they got a better social life than us”.

Helen was a remarkable lady & loved by all. She will be greatly missed.

We are grateful for the wonderful care & compassion that was given to our mother in her final days of life by the staff of Hospice Compassus (her nurse, Jennifer) & her sitters (Mary DeBose & Joyce Augillard ).

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home Chapel, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. on Tuesday, January 26, 2016 at 3:00 PM. Interment will follow in Lake Lawn Park & Mausoleum. Visitation on Tuesday from 1:00 PM until service time. To view and sign the guest book please go to www.lakelawnmetairie.com.

ts under the direction of Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, New Orleans, LA.