Helen Elizabeth Seward

Much beloved daughter, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, Helen departed this life in the very way she lived--surrounded by people who deeply loved and admired her.

Born in Scranton, PA, to the Reverend Doctor John Hubert Stanton and Helen MacMurray Stanton, Helen’s family settled in Westmont, PA, just a short ride on the inclined plane above Johnstown. Helen is pre-deceased by her two sisters, Barbara “Babs” Stanton Gaillard and Priscilla Stanton Waters, and her best childhood friend, her brother, John MacMurray Stanton. Throughout her long and joyful life, Helen often returned to happy memories of childhood and school years in Westmont where her father was the Senior Pastor of the Westmont Presbyterian Church.

A graduate of Westmont High School, Helen went on to Grove City College from which she earned her Bachelor degree in Primary Education. A gifted educator, full of caring for her students and passionate about their learning, Helen started her career as a fourth grade teacher in the Dennis-Yarmouth School System. Subsequently she taught at the Unquowa School in Fairfield, CT.

Helen met the darling of her life, Samuel “Sam” Livingston Seward, at the East Dennis, MA, post office. East Dennis is the town where Helen’s father had preached in the summer at the East Dennis Community Church. Sam and Helen were married by Helen’s father at the Westmont Presbyterian Church on June 25, 1955.

During the course of their happy marriage, Sam and Helen lived many places, including Northborough, MA, Syracuse, NY, Bloomfield and Haddonfield, NJ, ultimately settling in Westwood, MA. They had six children: Barbara Ann LoVellette (Reverend Dr. Steve LoVellette) of Tuscon, AZ, Alice Elizabeth Campbell (Craig) of Sandwich, MA, Dr. Samuel Livingston Seward, Jr., (Dr. Kara Bickham) of Princeton, NJ, William “Bill” Stanton Seward (Despina) of Milford, OH, Kathryn Helen Seward of Stoughton, MA, and Sara Ide Mazzola (Matthew “Matt”) of Millbury, MA. The result of their marriage is 15 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren—each of whom adored their “Mimi” as she did them.

After raising her family, Helen returned to her vocation serving as a substitute elementary school teacher—a wonderful one—for many years in the Westwood School System. Also, for the better part of a decade, Helen was a volunteer teacher in the ESL program run by Park Street Church in Boston.

Helen and Sam moved to Cape Cod nearly 35 years ago. During their time on the Cape, they loved exploring new beaches and seafood restaurants, square dancing, hosting family and friends at their beautiful home and traveling to the U.S. National Parks and Europe. Sam pre-deceased Helen in 2012. Around the same time, Helen moved to the Heatherwood Senior Living Community in Yarmouth Port, where she cultivated countless new friendships, while also re-connecting with friends from earlier in her life and where, happily, her brother, John, and wife, Marcy, also came to reside.

Many people have said it was impossible to know Helen without coming to love her. Surely this was true. Her generosity of spirit, compassion for everyone she encountered, sense of humor, humility and kindness were some of the qualities which distinguished who she was and the life she led. As well, her deep Christian faith sustained her through each of life’s challenges, growing deeper with each passing decade.

For those who knew her, Helen Stanton Seward was a nearly unique source of goodness and warmth. She knew how to savor the simple things in life: ice cream, playing hymns on her piano, laughter and, above all, kindness to everyone.

Services in celebration of Helen Stanton Seward will be on Friday, August 23rd, at Grace Church of East Dennis (formerly East Dennis Community Church) at 10:00 a.m. Contributions in Helen’s memory are welcome and can be made to the Osterville Baptist Church, of which she and Sam were longtime members, 824 Main Street, Osterville, MA 02655.