Obituary of Helen D. Marsden

Helen Donahue Marsden, 91, formerly of Tanglewood Manor, passed away on Saturday, August 22, 2020 in Bradford Manor, Bradford, Pa. Helen, the daughter of the late Terrence and Mae Donahue, was born and raised in Olean, NY. She attended Olean High School and later received a BA degree from Fordham University in New York City. She was employed by New York Telephone(later Verizon) for 38 years and held various positions in offices across New York State. She retired in 1984 as Manager of Personnel in Manhattan and moved to Harwich, Cape Cod. She was very active in Town activities enjoying membership in the Telephone Pioneers, Harwich Cranberry Festival committee, Chair of the Harwich Personnel Board and a member of the Town Finance Committee. She was a staunch volunteer of The Family Pantry of Cape Cod, served on the Board of Directors, received the Pantry "Volunteer of the Year" award in 2001 and later became the Pantry bookkeeper. Helen was an amateur artist and decorator and gained great pleasure from donating her painted pieces to auctions for the benefit of charitable organizations. She enjoyed the peace and beauty of the Cape as well as her home and gardens to the extent she often declined to travel because she "did not go over the Bass River bridge". Her neighbors, friends, and "Rovers" were special joys. Survivors include: a niece Kay Michele(Steve) Lawson of Huntington, WV; two nephews: Brian (Paula) Donahue of Orchard Park, NY and Mark (Maureen) Donahue of Lakewood, NY; three great nieces: Erica and Erin Lawson, Erin Ingalls; and two great nephews: Christopher (Krissy) Donahue and Sean Donahue. A private burial will be held at the convenience of the family. The family would like to thank the staff of Tanglewood Manor for their compassionate care during the last few years. Memorial donations would be greatly appreciated for The Family Pantry of Cape Cod, 133 Queen Anne Rd., Harwich, MA 02645 or the Harwich Ambulance Fund, PO Box 23, Harwich Port, MA 02646.