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In Memory of

Helen Frye (McDonough)

Helen Frye (McDonough)

Helen M. Stamps McDonough

January 27, 1949February 6, 2022

Helen Margaret Stamps McDonough, a retired nurse and eternal lover of life, always had one simple rule about giving: if it brings you great joy, it’s yours. Helen, Sis, Mom and Nana took gentle leave from this world on February 6, 2022, surrounded by her children and husband. In doing so, she brings us now the great joy of her memory.

Helen’s life purpose was the well-being of others and she was particularly concerned for the disadvantaged and less fortunate. She spent the last several years of her life dedicating significant time volunteering at the San Antonio Children’s Shelter. Helen was a fierce advocate for justice and human rights. Her laugh was infectious and her smile was a million miles wide. She once wrote a letter that lamented the decline in the quality of the Payday candy bar. The company sent her a case and a big thanks.

It was always the little things that moved Helen. A birdsong. A word. Catching a shark at 2am from a Gulf Coast pier. A hug. A guacamole cup. A cicada shell. A tune. A joke. A tear. Swimming and more swimming. She’d arrive anywhere and effortlessly work the room. Greetings, hugs and laughs for everyone—she wanted everyone to be happy. Helen is survived by her mother, Geraldine Frye; her loving husband, John McDonough; her brother, Lawrence Frye; her sister, Joan Ashbrook; her children, Jack Jr, Colleen and Jessica; a ton of grandkids and cousins and a precocious chihuahua with a thousand names.

And lo! upon her arrival in the clouds, Helen worked another room, flashed smiles and busted various moves before slow dancing with Malcolm and Mattie and Mamoo, her daddy and grandbaby and grandma.

A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, February 19 at 4pm at the Floresville United Methodist Church. 1205 B St. Floresville, TX 78114. Reception to follow in the fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the San Antonio Children’s Shelter (https://childrensshelter.org/give) or the San Antonio Food Bank (https://safoodbank.org/donate) on her behalf.

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/san-antonio-tx/helen-stamps-mcdonough-10580112



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