The Memorial Candle Program has been designed to help offset the costs associated with the hosting this Tribute Website in perpetuity. Through the lighting of a memorial candle, your thoughtful gesture will be recorded in the Book of Memories and the proceeds will go directly towards helping ensure that the family and friends of Helen Ortyl can continue to memorialize, re-visit, interact with each other and enhance this tribute for future generations.

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Memories of a beautiful friend

I met Helen's husband, Edward, first when I moved into my husband's family home at 508 Madeline Ave.  Edward was just 19 yrs old then and lived next door.  I later met Helen and she and Ed moved in with his parents then and we became fast friends.  Later, she had Edward and my children and her son played together.  Years later, in 1983, when I moved here to Las Cruces, NM we kept in constant touch through letters and phone calls.  We were close confidants and friends sharing our lives together.  When I returned to NJ to see my grandchildren I visited her.  She was a beautiful person and I grieved for her when Edward died, and when she lost both of her parents.  I am glad she still had two brothers who loved her dearly and their extended families.  I prayed hard for a cure for her when her cancer returned (she and I both had breast cancer though I had sucessfully alread gone through a mastectomy and chemo).  When she called, crying that her cancer had metastasized I wept with her.  A cure was not to be and as it progressed she was in my thoughts and prayers constantly.  I last spoke with her in Nov. and when she mentioned she was in a lot of pain my heart broke again.  Now I know she is at peace, free of pain and reunited with her husband and parents in heaven.  I loved her dearly and know she loved me.  We never failed to say those words at the end of every phone call and letter.  My deepest condolences to her son and brothers and the extended family.

Posted by Beverly Beckage
Sunday January 3, 2016 at 1:58 pm
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