Helen V. (Brand) Purple

Helen V. Purple Petersham -Helen V. Purple passed away unexpectedly on Dec 18 surrounded by her loving family at the age of 85.   Helen was born in Cleveland, Ohio and moved to Athol when she fell in love with Vincent “Bill” Purple and married him in 1951.  They raised their family in Athol and then moved to Petersham in 1975 where she enjoyed the beauty of the woods around them.      Helen loved nature.  She fed birds, raccoons, and even a fox named George.  The owls were fed chicken thighs and Bozo the chipmunk never went hungry.  She rescued many and enjoyed them all.      Before moving to Athol, Helen worked at Rappaport Exhibits where she did creative work including floral design and the hand coloring of black and white portraits.   After raising two children, Helen went back to work in the 1980s as the Treasurer of the Town of Petersham and the Treasurer of the Ralph C. Mahar Regional High School.  In 1986, she became the Secretary of the L.P. Athol Corporation and also served as a Director.  She was an active member and a past President of the Athol Women’s Club and a member of the Petersham Branch Alliance for many years.      Helen and Bill were among the founding members of the Petersham Curling Club in 1960.  She was an excellent curler and traveled throughout the region competing in both Women’s and Mixed events.  She curled for over 30 years and made many a friend on and off the ice.      Helen expressed her creativity in many ways.  As Bill spearheaded the building of the Athol Veteran’s Park, Helen was the creative force behind many of the fundraising events.  As a Mother, she decorated beautiful birthday cakes and put happy faces on lunch bags.  Always smiling and full of laughter, Helen was the Mom who sledded with the kids and played in the sandbox.  In her later years, Helen took up needlework and created a striking collection of a dozen cross-stitched pieces depicting backyard birds which now adorn their family room in Petersham.      Helen survived a life-threatening bout with cancer when she was 32.  She was a survivor and did work helping other women deal with similar situations.  She had a lot to live for and lived life to its’ fullest as evidenced by the fact that on summer days you could find her in her Sebring convertible with the top down – everyone in their 80s should do that!      Helen is survived by her husband Bill Purple of Petersham, her son Phil Purple and his wife Anne Roy of Phillipston; her daughter and son-in-law Cindy and Chuck Hartwell of New Salem; and her older sister Betty Anderson of Cleveland OH.  Helen’s grandchildren are Paula DeDiego and her husband Robert of Orange; Christina Newland and her husband Scott of Southington, CT; Tarna Genovese of Orange, and Gina Madden and her husband Joseph of Boston.  Helen also leaves many great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.      Services will be held Thursday, December 22, 2011 from Higgins-O’Connor Funeral Home, 146 Main Street, Athol, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 A.M. at Our Lady Immaculate Church, 192 School Street, Athol.  Burial will follow at West Road Cemetery in Petersham and calling hours will be Wednesday, December 21, 2011 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Higgins-O’Connor Funeral Home.  There will also be a reception at the Petersham Curling Club following the burial      In lieu of flowers, the family suggests honoring Helen’s love of nature with a donation to Medicine Mammals, a wildlife rehabilitation center for abandoned and injured animals located at 101 Morse Village Road, Wendell, MA  01379, or celebrate Helen’s victory over cancer with a donation to the local chapter of the American Cancer Society. For further information or to share a memory with the family go to: www.higginsoconnorfuneralhome.com. $(document).ready(function(){ });