Helen R. Smith

She was born on August 21, 1946 to Howard and Emma (Tote) Raymond, and grew up with her parents and two sisters in Mountainside, NJ, attending Governor Livingston High School.

Helen began dating her sweetheart, Ward Smith, when she was 15, and they married a year after she graduated from All Souls Hospital School of Nursing in Morristown, NJ in 1967. On a road trip to Alaska in 1974, they visited Keene and never left. They found a beautiful farm in Surry and spent the next four decades pouring themselves into it, raising many farm animals together with their two daughters.

While Ward managed the business end of Cheshire Airways at Dillant-Hopkins Airport, Helen earned her private pilot's license and loved flying. Professionally, she spent 35 years working in the Cheshire Medical Center Operating Room, where she had many dear friends and colleagues. She pioneered a new field of nursing as one of the country's first RN First Assistants in surgery.

In retirement, Helen loved gardening. Her beautiful flower gardens were admired by all. She toiled quietly for her town to make Surry an independent school district, and served for several years as the district clerk. She also was a member of the Keene Elks Club.

Helen's faith was at the center of her life. She loved the Lord Jesus and she loved sharing that with others. At Crossway Church, where she was a member, Helen could often be found doing behind-the-scenes jobs that received little praise, finishing them joyfully and with a smile. She also enjoyed serving with her church at the Community Kitchen.

She loved her family and friends, constantly looking for ways to bless and serve them with generous hospitality. She especially poured her life into her grandchildren, who were ever eager to stop in and grab popsicles and hugs.

Helen is survived by her daughters, Rebecca Russo and son-in-law, Aaron, of Surry, and Sandra Chagnon and son-in-law, Dylan, of Manchester, NH; her three grandchildren, Jillian, Anastasia and Nathaniel Russo; her sisters and brothers-in-law, Margaret & Samuel Hoskins; and Elizabeth & William Dross; as well as a niece and nephews. Her husband of 48 years, Ward Smith, predeceased her in 2016.

A funeral service will be held on Thursday, August 13, 2020 at 10:00am at Crossway Church, 28 Arch Street, Keene, NH. The service will be livestreamed via the church’s Facebook page. To view the service, visit https://keenecrossway.org/livestream, or follow the livestream link under the services listed for Helen at www.foleyfuneralhome.com. Burial will follow in the Village Cemetery, Village Road, Surry. Family and friends are invited to call on Wednesday evening from 5:00 to 7:00pm in the Foley Funeral Home, 49 Court Street, Keene. All in attendance during the visitation at the funeral home as well as the funeral service at the church are required to wear facemasks and to maintain the physical distancing requirements.

Helen deeply appreciated the selfless care and concern of her neighbors in the Surry Volunteer Fire Department. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in her name to their building expansion fund. Donations may be sent to the Surry Volunteer Fire Department, 444 Route 12A, Surry, NH 03431 or visit https://m.facebook.com/Surrynhfiredept/.