Helen A. Purcell

Helen A. Purcell passed away on April 29, 2018.

Born February 22, 1935 to the late Thomas E. Purcell, Sr. and Catherine Hart Purcell. Sister of the late Thomas E . Purcell, Jr and his wife, June, and Marie A. Purcell. Great Aunt of the late Amy Purcell.

Helen grew up in Medford, Ma and was graduated from St Clement’s High School in Somerville. She received her diploma in Nursing from Mt. Auburn Hospital School of Nursing in Cambridge, MA in 1961. Following completion of her Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College in 1967, she went into International Nursing as an instructor at St. Mary’s School of Nursing in Montreal, Quebec.

Helen returned to the U.S. in 1968 where she joined the Medford School Nurse team; attended the University of Colorado as an SNP and was instrumental in instituting the first” Lead Poisoning Screening Program” in Medford, MA.

Colonel Purcell joined the United States Air Force Reserves in 1969. She was then assigned to Hanscom Air Force Base where she became the AFROTC liaison officer. She graduated from the Flight Nurse Course, Brooks AFB in 1969 and flew with the Aeromedical Evacuation Squardron in Westover AFB, Massachusetts. She held positions of Flight Instructor, Flight Examiner, Flying Safety  Officer, Standard/Evaluation Trainer. She joined the staff at Pease AFB, NH as an assistant Chief Nurse and then returned to Hanscom AFB as IMA to the Chief Nurse.

One of Helen’s favorite groups was being a member of the “Walk n’ Mass Volkssport Club” and she participated and completed many miles, on foot, in all 50 States and Canada. Helen always said, like Dorothy, “there is no place like home”.

She leave a legacy for sure, one hard to match!

She is survived by her nephews Kenneth, Kevin and his wife Karen, Keith and his wife Sai, her niece Karen A. Purcell Wilson and her husband Bill, her Godchildren Michelle Micciche Dowling and her husband Ralph, Peter Hadley and his wife Silvia from Austria. She is also survived by many grand nieces and nephews, Michael, Jennifer and Matthew of FL, Katie and Nick of MA, Meghan and Cason Wilson of TN and many young people who touched her life along her journey.

In lieu of flowers one can make a contribution to the VNA of the South Shore Hospice, the American Heart Association, or the American Cancer Association

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the visiting hour on Tuesday 8:30-9:30 AM in the McDonald Keohane Funeral Home SOUTH WEYMOUTH at 809 Main Street (Rte 18 opp. So. Shore Hospital), followed by her Funeral Mass in Saint Francis Xavier Church, Weymouth at 10 AM. Burial will be on Wednesday May, 9th at 10 AM in MA National Cemetery, Bourne.