| Date of Birth | April 11, 1920 |
| Passed Away | March 14, 2010 |
| Place of Residence | Hornell |
| Home State | NY |
| Service Date | March 17, 2010 |
| Service Time | 11:00 AM |
| Service Location | Christ Episcopal Church |
| Interment Location | Woodlawn Cemetery |
HELEN L. PERSICHILLI
HORNELL-Helen L. Persichilli, 89, a resident of Updyke’s Willow Ridge, 131 Hornell St., entered into rest, in the presence of her loving family, Sunday afternoon (March 14, 2010) at St. James Mercy Hospital in Hornell.
Born in Hornell on April 11, 1920, she was a daughter of the late William and Hazel Dunham Gallagher. In 1942 she was married in Fredericksburg, Md., to Francis Persichilli, who predeceased her in 1981 after nearly 40 years of marriage. Besides her parents and husband, she was also predeceased by her four sisters, Virginia Arwine, Jean Furdock, Marilyn Hunt and Betty Sexton and her brother, William “Jack” Gallagher.
A life long resident of Hornell, Helen was a graduate of Hornell High School.
She was a devout member of Christ Episcopal Church in Hornell where she served as a Sunday School teacher and was a member of the Altar Guild.
Helen will be remembered for being a very talented and creative artist. She enjoyed her flowers as well as doing various arts and crafts.
Her family includes her three children, Jerry (Helen) Persichilli of Hornell, Thomas (Meg) Persichilli of Arkport and Susan (Mark) Teagarden of Alfred Station; her nine grandchildren, Richard (Teresa) Persichilli, Stephen (Debbie) Persichilli, Gregory (Debi) Persichilli, Peter Persichilli, Tracy, Corey, Leslie, Thomas and Matthew Teagarden; her six great-grandchildren and her one great-great-grandchild; her brother, Thomas (Sandy) Gallagher of Hornell; her sister-in-law, Angela VanAllen of Hornell; also her nieces and nephews.
To honor her wishes there will be no calling hours. Friends are invited to meet her family at Christ Episcopal Church in Hornell where a Requiem Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Wednesday, with the Rev. Thomas Gramley officiating. Committal prayers and interment will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery, Canisteo.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing may contribute in her memory to Christ Episcopal Church, PO Box 336, Hornell, NY 14843.
I’m in tears as I write this. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to come and see you more after I left Updyke’s. I will remember the times you rubbed Yvonne’s head as a child during the coffee hours.. I will miss the times I took you to church and we ate Friendly’s icecream Sunday’s for our lunch until we felt sick.. Sneak out into the garden up there for a smoke with my mother. I promise to go and see Catherine as soon as I can. Please rest easy. xx
my sympathy to the family and so sorry for your loss. She was a special lady.
I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS HOW SORRY I AM
THAT YOU ALL HAVE LOST YOUR MOTHER, A
WONDERFULL LADIE. SHE WAS MY MOTHERS BEST FRIEND. (AUDREY LARNARD SEARS) I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER ALL THE SUNDAY DRIVES WE WENT ON WITH HELEN AND PETE. ALSO PICNICS, TALKS IN CHURCH. IM SURE MY MOTHER WAS THERE TO GREET HER IN HEAVEN.