| Graduation Year | Class of 1940 |
| Date of Passing | Nov 02, 2010 |
| About | Helen Gilbert Thatcher, 88, of Rushville and Westport, Conn., died Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010. She was born Helena Jane Gilbert June 6, 1922, the second of four daughters of Leota Mull Gilbert and Alfred Norris Gilbert of Rushville. Helen's father died when she was four years old; later, her mother married Lowell Macy of Arlington. Helen and her sisters - Jean, Francis, and Thelma - were talented musically. During the Depression, Don Myers, music director of the Rushville Schools, coached them as a local performing group, singing four-part harmony renditions of popular tunes. Helen was an A student and graduated from Rushville High School in 1940. During World War II, Helen worked as a secretary in Indianapolis, while her high school sweetheart, Richard Thatcher, flew for the Royal Canadian Air Force. They were married in August 1945. In 1946 and 1948 their daughters, Vicki and Donna, were born. In 1948 Helen was diagnosed with schizophrenia and hospitalized at Richmond State Hospital. She returned home about a year later. Despite her illness, Helen managed the myriad tasks of homemaking and parenting, was involved in the community, and enjoyed her life. She devoted many hours to reading aloud to her little daughters, singing with them and listening to records, and taking them to dance classes. She organized birthday and slumber parties and made elaborate Halloween costumes. She taught Sunday school at Main Street Christian Church, served as a Brownie Scout Troop Leader, and was active in the Psi Iota Psi sorority. She enjoyed cards and hosted her bridge club. She took flying lessons from her husband and loved to brag about the time she made a hole-in-one at the Rushville Golf Club. She enjoyed parties and liked to kick up her heels on the dance floor at the Elks Club. She had a hearty, ribald sense of humor, a prodigious laugh, and a winsome smile. She and Richard had a large and loyal group of friends in Rushville, who embraced her in spite of the ups and downs that characterized her life. In the mid 1970s, Helen and Richard were forced to leave Rushville when his employer, V.W. Norris and Son fertilizer company, closed its doors. In 1976 they settled in Indianapolis. In 1987, at the age of 65, Helen was diagnosed with dementia associated with schizophrenia. For the next 23 years she was cared for by Richard (until his death in 1991), then caregiver Barbara Connor, then daughter Donna in Westport, Conn., and finally nursing homes. She was an avid Bingo player with an uncanny knack for winning. She was cherished for her sense of humor, directness, and the many "I love you's" she bestowed on her caregivers. She eagerly anticipated her family's visits and showered them with expressions of love. Helen is mourned by her daughter, Victoria Thatcher and husband, Mayhew Seavey of Belmont, Mass.; daughter, Donna Thatcher Brody and husband, Michael Brody of Westport, Conn.; and grandson, Jonathan Brody of New York City, N.Y. Burial was Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010 at Willowbrook Cemetery in Westport, Conn. Condolences can be sent to the family or online at www.hardingfuneralhomeinc.com, or Harding Funeral Home, 210 Post Road East, Westport, CT 06880. |
