Obituary of Helen J. Marmion

Helen J. Marmion (née Peterkin), 102, of Lyndhurst, NJ, died on Thursday, October 17, 2024. Helen was born on February 19th, 1922 in New York City and was raised for most of her life in New York City. She was the third out of four daughters to Cecil Peterkin and Mary Peterkin (née Kearins). On June 9th, 1946, she married the love of her life John T. Marmion. John and Helen eventually moved to New Jersey, first to Union City, then to Hasbrouck Heights, and then to Lyndhurst. Helen worked when she was first married, but her full-time occupation quickly became homemaker and mom to her three daughters and dog Whiskers. When she moved to Lyndhurst, she helped raise her two granddaughters and was a constant presence in their lives since they all shared a home. In her final years, Helen lived at the Maywood Rehabilitation Home in Maywood, NJ. 
 

Helen loved to cook and bake, but much preferred eating dessert with a warm cup of tea. No matter how full, she always had room for dessert. Her grilled cheeses, cheese omelets, fried bologna sandwiches, Thanksgiving rice stuffing, Christmas cookies, and Social Tea biscuits with banana slices were and still are the absolute best. Helen was an avid watcher of C-SPAN (or any news program) and Unsolved Mysteries – always with the closed captions on. To Helen, family meant everything, and she loved nothing more than just being with her family. A true matriarch of the family with many names – Helen, Mom, Aunt Helen, Honeybunch, Grandma, and most recently GG, Helen will be missed deeply by all who loved her and were a part of her life for an illustrious 102 years. We were all so blessed to have her in our lives for such an extended period of time.   

Helen is predeceased by her beloved husband John “Jack or Chuck” T. Marmion; her sisters: Lillian “Lily” M. Schmitz and her husband Bernard R. Schmitz, Mary “Mae” Arieto and her husbands Harry Schiebel and Joseph Arieto, and Margaret “Marge” Heins and her husband Edward “Eddie” M. Heins; her niece Janet M. Fleming (née Heins) and her husband Robert A. Fleming; her son-in-law Joseph Picataggio; and her grandpets: dogs Murphy, Chelsea, and Ethan, and cats Maggie and Belle, who all gained a significant amount of weight when hanging out with Helen since she secretly loved giving them morsels of food under the table. 

Helen is survived by her loving daughters: Barbara A. Marmion, Judith “Judy” A. Picataggio, and Nancy P. Denny and her husband Sidney P. Denny; her grandchildren: Christine Ann Denny and her husband Jason R. Chalifoux, and Kimberly M. Denny-Ryder and her husband Todd W. Ryder; her great-grandchildren: Charlotte A. Chalifoux, Colin B. Ryder, Caroline O. Chalifoux, Elizabeth J. Ryder, and Jack T. Chalifoux; her nieces and nephew: Lily Gray, Bernadette Schmitz Reilly and her husband Michael J. Slenczka, and Raymond C. Heins and his wife Elizabeth “Betty” Heins; and beloved extended family. 

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the visitation at Nazare Memorial Home, 403 Ridge Road, Lyndhurst, NJ, 07071 on Sunday, October 20, 2024, from 1 - 5 PM. All will gather at Nazare Memorial Home on Monday, October 21, 2024, at 9 AM. A funeral mass will be offered at Sacred Heart Church, 324 Ridge Road, Lyndhurst, NJ, 07071 on Monday, October 21, 2024, at 10 AM. Interment to follow at St. Michael’s Cemetery, 120 Saddle River Road, South Hackensack, NJ, 07606. In lieu of flowers, please eat as many desserts, cake, and sweets as you can with a hot cup of Lipton tea in honor of Helen, or you are invited to make a donation to the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) by clicking here. You may express condolences to her family by using the tribute wall.