Mrs. Helen Richards of Wilmington, passed away at the age of 86 on October 4th at the Meadowview Care & Rehabilitation Nursing Center in North Reading following a lengthy illness. She was the beloved wife of the late John Richards and together they shared fifty-eight years of marriage prior to his death in 2000. Born in Reading she was the daughter of the late Albert E. and Mary E. (Ainsworth) Merrill.
Helen was raised and educated in Reading. Shortly after her marriage she and her husband settled in Wilmington where they resided for many years. Helen worked for a number of years with the Symphonic Electronics Company of Lowell and she also worked for several years as a quality inspector for the Andrean Imports Clothing Co. of Woburn. Mostly devoted to her loving family, Helen enjoyed and cherished spending time with her family and especially enjoyed being with her grandchildren. In her leisure time she liked to crochet and knit. She also enjoyed attending bingo, playing cards and cribbage with her friends and family.
Helen is survived by her daughters, Cynthia Stratton and her husband Richard of Hudson, NH, Patricia LaPlume and her husband Daniel of Haverhill, and Elaine Wiehler of Methuen. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Christopher and Courtney Stratton, John Ayles, Robert and Allyson Bourassa. She is further survived by one great grandchild, Jovie Bourassa.
In addition to her late husband and parents, Helen is predeceased by her sisters and brothers, the late Genevieve Crowell, Louise Merrill, Albert, Earl and Francis Merrill.
A funeral service will be conducted in the Dello Russo Funeral Home 374 Main St., Wilmington, Friday, October 8th, at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours at the Dello Russo Funeral Home will be held on Thursday from 4 thru 8 p.m. Services will conclude with burial at Wildwood Cemetery, Wilmington. It has been requested that in lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made in Helen's memory to the Alzheimer's Association, 311 Arsenal St., Watertown, MA 02172. For directions or to leave a message of condolence please visit www.dellorusso.net