Obituary of Helen M. Gilfedder

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Helen M. Gilfedder, who was called to heaven on January 4, 2025 at the age of 88.

Helen was born on February 23, 1936 in Queens, NY to Nicholas and Marie Phelan. She was a devoted member of St Hugh of Lincoln Parish and lived her faith with a deep commitment to prayer and service to the church.

Helen was predeceased by: her husband, John (Jack) Gilfedder.  Her brothers John Phelan and James Phelan and her sister Catherine Lange.

She is survived by: her children, Eileen Altobelli (David) of Franklin, MA, Mary Thompson (Michael) of Beltsville, MD, John Gilfedder (Loni) of Broomfield, CO, Nancy Trefny of Huntington, NY, Janet DellaMarco (Dominick) of East Northport, NY, Brendan Gilfedder (Carole) of Huntington, NY, Susan Gilfedder of Huntington, NY; and her grandchildren, Lauren Altobelli, Taylor Hickerson,  Ethan Gilfedder, Morgan Trefny, Dominick DellaMarco Jr., Jennifer DellaMarco, Megan DellaMarco, Amanda DellaMarco, Jack Gilfedder, and Sydney Gilfedder.

Helen was a loving and dedicated mother and grandmother.

Helen graduated from Bishop McDonnell Memorial High School in 1954 and went on to study mathematics at St. Joseph's University in Brooklyn, NY. She entered the workforce after being widowed in 1984. She successfully enjoyed a long career in retail banking.  While most business days were uneventful, there was the one early one morning when she interrupted a bank robbery, and spent several hours locked in the bank vault.

A passionate sports fan, she closely followed her favorite teams—the St. John's men's basketball team, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, as well as the New York Mets and Jets. Helen also had a keen interest in fantasy football, meticulously tracking player statistics.  Helen loved to read books of all genres in and was a puzzle enthusiast.

Visitation Wednesday 4-8 PM at M.A.Connell Funeral Home, Huntington Station NY.  A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St.Hugh of Lincoln, RC Church, Huntington Station, NY on Thursday at 9:30 AM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to the Lupus Foundation of America or Breakthrough T1D (Juvenile Diabetes).