Helen Nicholson

Helen peacefully passed away surrounded by her loving family in her home on Saturday, June 1, 2013. Helen was born October 22, 1942, in Portland Maine, daughter of Bridget Burke Brown and James Brown. She attended Cathedral School in Portland. She was the youngest of nine children.

Helen had a wonderful sense of humor right until the end making everyone smile and laugh with her Irish wit. She was a strong willed Irish Catholic wife and mother who will be dearly missed.

Helen retired from Unum in 2007 after ten years. She enjoyed traveling with her husband and their dear friends who they took many trips with together. Ireland was a favorite destination and they had planned to visit Ireland again prior to being diagnosed with cancer last fall.

Helen married Robert J. Smith of South Portland, her high school sweetheart in 1960. Robert was killed in Vietnam in 1965. In 1968 she married David J. Nicholson and was his loving wife for 45 years. Helen’s illness did not deter her from living or enjoying her family. She continued to be determined and courageous during her all too brief battle with pancreas cancer. She often said “my kids are my best work”. Her biggest enjoyment came from the family gatherings. Music and laughter were the common thread to these events. She loved having her family around her. These times represent some of the best memories for her husband, children and grandchildren. Helen thoroughly enjoyed being a grandmother. Babysitting her 9 grandchildren as infants or watching them grow into teenagers and adults brought tremendous pride to her life. The kid’s sporting events and trips to Florida brought her added joy in her role as mother and grandmother.

Helen had a real knack for making people feel loved and special; it was one of her unique gifts. As part of a large Irish Catholic family, Helen had over 100 nieces and nephews. Some of these nieces and nephews forged bonds that will be forever linked in our memories of Helen and her “extended family”.

When Helen was not with her family and friends, she was walking and jogging Baxter Boulevard and the Portland Trails. She was an avid walker and runner over her life time and loved to exercise. Her other outdoor passion was her garden. It was a true labor of love, spending tireless hours with her husband transforming her backyard into their own slice of paradise.

Helen was a person of great vitality, energy and intelligence. She will long be remembered and memories will be cherished by her family and friends.

Helen was a lifelong parishioner of Cathedral Church, attending the Cathedral school as a child and later married in the same church. She was a compassionate and generous woman, often making donations to the homeless of Portland or anyone else in need. Helen was predeceased by brothers and sisters; James, Richard, Gerald, Thomas, and Martha “Hilda” and Marjorie. She is survived by her beloved husband David J. Nicholson of Portland, her four children Michael Smith and wife Katy Kellogg of Miami, Florida, daughter, Gina Smith Auger and husband Michael Auger of Westbrook, son Stephen Smith and his partner Christina Foote of Westbrook and her daughter Lisa Nicholson O’Brien and her husband Bourke O’Brien of Portland, two sisters Dorothy and husband Richard Thomas of Sacramento, CA and Nancy and husband Joe Urbano of Bridgeport, CT, and also survived by her nine grandchildren; Nathan Field, Steven Smith, Matthew Auger, Noelle Auger, Stephanie Cole, Abigail Helene O’Brien, Karl M. Smith, Reilly N. O’Brien and Allison Smith.

Donations in Helen’s Memory can be given to Portland Trails 305 Commercial Street Portland Maine 04101.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a time of visitation this evening Monday June 3, 2013 from 4 to 8 PM at the Jones, Rich and Hutchins Funeral Home 199 Woodford St. Portland, Maine. Prayer services will be recited Tuesday morning June 4 at 9 A.M. in the funeral home with a Mass of Christian Burial at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception at 10AM. Interment will be at a later date at Calvary Cemetery in South Portland. On line condolences can be given to the family at www.jonesrichandhutchins.com.