Helen T. Foley

Mrs. Foley was born Helen Teresa O'Leary on January 20, 1933 in Buffalo and grew up in the family home at 524 Grant Street in the West Side's Black Rock neighborhood. She was the daughter of Cornelius O'Leary and Nellie (O'Donoghue) O'Leary who both emigrated to the United States from County Kerry, Ireland in the early 1920s. She was pre-deceased by her siblings, Mary Katherine (John) Girdlestone, Judy (William) Anderson, Michael (Jean) O'Leary, Patrick O'Leary and Monica (Larry) Sadoff.

Mrs. Foley attended Annunciation School in Buffalo from grade school through high school, graduating as Salutatorian of her class in 1950. She enjoyed over 80 years of friendship with classmates she knew since the first grade. She was educated at Annunciation by Catholic nuns from the order of the Sisters of Saint Mary of Namur. A highlight of her life was a visit to the mother house in Namur, Belgium in 1994.

Mrs. Foley earned a B.A. and M.A. from Buffalo State Teachers College and in 1954 began a teaching career that spanned four decades. Her first position was at School 79 in Buffalo, but she had to resign during her first pregnancy, as was the custom and rule in that era. Following the birth of her two sons, in the early 1960s Mrs. Foley resumed her career in the Kenmore-Tonawanda Public School system, teaching successively at Dewitt Clinton, Horace Mann, Philip Sheridan and Oliver Wendell Holmes Elementary Schools. She retired in 1994.

Mrs. Foley specialized in early childhood education and taught grades 1-3. She had a gift for words and communicated a love of language to the children. Once she had taught them to read and write, her young students would compose daily journals as early as the first grade. She also made creative and entertaining use of the piano as an educational tool throughout the school day and was beloved by children and colleagues alike. Under the leadership of principal Florence Gugino, Holmes School achieved notable distinction for delivering high academic standards and results for its students, many of whom came from disadvantaged backgrounds. In 1989, Holmes was one of 26 elementary schools designated by the New York State Department of Education as Schools of Excellence, and in 1990 it was declared a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education. Mrs. Foley was thrilled to accompany Ms. Gugino to Albany and Washington DC to attend the award ceremonies.

In her circle of friends and family, Mrs. Foley was renowned for her poetic abilities. She wrote hundreds of poems for every possible occasion - birthdays, retirements, holidays, Super Bowls - sometimes on the spur of the moment. Over the years, several were published in the Buffalo News.

After retirement, Mrs. Foley enjoyed traveling the world with friends and visiting her children and grandchildren. She loved crossword puzzles, which she could complete with remarkable speed, and was an avid bridge player.

Helen was a kind and gentle soul, as good-hearted as the parents who raised her and the family she grew up with. She was proud of her Irish heritage and was deeply committed to her religious faith and to many charitable endeavors. She was devoted to her children, grandchildren and to numerous nephews and nieces and their own children as well. She never missed a birthday and the young relatives would invariably find what she called an "Irish handshake" hidden inside the card.

Helen was married for 47 years to the late James J. Foley. She is survived by her sons, James B. Foley (Kate Suryan) of Falls Church, VA and Kevin M. Foley (Dr. Donna Silbert) of New York City; and grandchildren Bennett C. Foley of Chicago, Claire M. Foley of New York City and Madeleine "Maddie" R. Foley of Falls Church, VA.

Donations in Helen's memory may be made to the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur Development Office at 241 Lafayette Avenue, Buffalo, N.Y. 14213 or to Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21297.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at St. Gregory the Great Church, 200 St. Gregory Ct. (corner of Maple Rd.), Williamsville, on Saturday (July 24, 2021) at 8:45am. Please assemble at church. Interment Mt. Olivet Cemetery.