Helen Cusick

Helen Ryan Cusick, 92, of Fairfield, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of November 21, 2018, at the Carolton Nursing Home.
She was born to Katherine and Stephen Ryan of Brookline, MA, on February 13, 1926, along with her beloved brothers Edward and Donald. She graduated from Notre Dame Academy in 1943 and Fischer Junior College in 1945.
Helen married the late Robert J. Cusick, also from Brookline, MA, in 1951. Most of their married life was lived in Norwalk, CT, where they raised six children: Robert, Stephen, Richard, Nancy, John, and Peter.
Helen’s primary role was as a wife and a full time mother and role model to her six children. She also volunteered at Birthright and Norwalk Hospital’s Treasure House in Norwalk. Helen also managed to find time for tennis, at Shore and Country in the summer and at “the bubble” in the winter, in addition to time playing bridge with her cherished friends.
Helen is survived by five of her six children: Robert and his wife Allison from Roswell, GA; Stephen and his wife Yvonne from Kensington, CA; Nancy and her husband Bill from Fairfield, CT; John and his wife Katie from Jamesville, NY; and Peter and his wife Lisa from Fairfield, CT. Helen is also survived by her grandchildren John- Stephen, Caely, Nicole, Christine, John- Michael, Robert, Jack, Sam, Max, and Peyton, and her great grandchildren Kaya, Hayley, Hobart, Dylan, and Dean.
Helen is predeceased by her beloved parents and siblings, her loving husband, and her dear son Richard.
Helen lived life to the max. After the loss of her husband, and the launching of her children into their adulthood, Helen enjoyed travel with friends, while continuing to keep her tennis racket ready and her family front and center.
While the development of Alzheimer’s Disease altered Helen’s later years, these years still enabled her children and grandchildren to spend precious time with her- a cherished gift that will be greatly missed.
Helen’s family, including all siblings and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, will have a private celebration of Helen’s life, including a mass at St. Philips in Norwalk, and a burial at St. John’s Cemetery in Norwalk.
Helen’s family wishes to thank the nurses and nurses’ aides at both the Jewish Home for the Elderly and the Carolton Nursing Home for all of the care, humor, and comfort they have shared with Helen over these past years. Lastly, Helen’s children wish to thank their mother for being the most influential person in their lives.If anyone wishes to make a donation in honor of Helen, the family suggests donations be made to the Connecticut Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, at https://www.alz.org/help-support.