Helena was born in West Point on Jan. 15, 1937. She was the daughter of Ralph and Mildred Smith Doughty and attended Phippsburg Center School and Morse High School graduating in the class of 1957. She met the love of her life Robert Arsenault and they married on Nov. 30, 1957.
Helena worked for several different companies on and off during her life including; W.T. Grants Department Store in the late ’50s, Jay Brush in the early ’70s, congress Sportswear during the ’70s and ’80s and most recently in the early ’90s at L.L. Bean in Freeport. She always enjoyed working, but most importantly she appreciated and savored the friendships she made along the way with her coworkers.
Helena was forever devoted to her family, they were always first in her life. When her children were young she was a dedicated den mother to her son David’s Cub Scout Troop, she always took the extra time to sew her daughter Susan’s baby doll and Barbie doll clothes. Helena and her family spent many weekends on their boat cruising and fishing the New Meadows River and Casco Bay for mackerel and blue fish, often spending weekend nights tied up to friends’ boats in the basin.
In the winters she often would bake, put together meals and have hot chocolate ready for her family and friends when they would return from snowmobiling and ice fishing on Winnegance Lake behind her house on weekends. She also enjoyed shopping yard sales, flea markets and going to car shows with her husband, Bob.
After her children were grown and she and Bob retired they looked forward to traveling. They traveled to Florida and Prince Edward Island, Canada. But once the grandchildren entered the world Helena was content on spending precious time with all of her grandchildren, often having them spend a night or two during the weekend. Until her illness she would often cheer on her grandsons while they were playing baseball and basketball (but not football, because she was afraid they could get hurt!).
Helena had a multitude of different talents; she enjoyed working in her flower gardens, sewing, quilting and tole painting, just to name a few of her favorites. There wasn’t anything she couldn’t do as far as being crafty; she was brilliant in all she did.
Helena fought a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease for years. Her husband, Bob, lovingly cared for his wife for many years in their family home and was devastated when it became too difficult to care for her properly. The family then had her placed at the Hawthorne House in Freeport where they were very good to her. Bob went to visit her religiously to make sure she was well, and was being well cared for. Helena will be missed by all who knew and loved her and will be always be remembered as a loving and caring person.
Helena was predeceased by her parents, Ralph and Mildred Doughty; her husband’s parents, Edward and Beatrice Arsenault; two sisters in-law, Joan Atkins and Nancy Doughty; and two nephews, Stanley Doughty Jr. and Michael Atwood.
Helena leaves behind her loving husband, Bob of West Bath; two children, David Arsenault and his wife, Terri, and Susan Arsenault Hunt and her husband, Frank, both of Phippsburg; three grandchildren, Krissy Arsenault Nelson and her husband, Graham of Arrowsic, and Blaine and Wade Hunt, both of Phippsburg; and four great-granddaughters, Madison, Kara, Grace and Elsie, all of Arrowsic; two brothers, Stanley Doughty, Harry Doughty and his wife, Carol, and a sister, Joan McKenney and her husband, Charles, all of Phippsburg; a sisterin law, Lorraine Atwood of Bath; and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family’s wishes are for those who would like to make a memorial donation in Helena’s name, to do so with The Alzheimer’s Association, Maine Chapter, 170 US Route 1, Suite 250, Falmouth, ME 04105.
Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, Aug. 7, from 2-4 p.m. at the David E. Desmond & Son Funeral Home, 638 High St., Bath. A Celebration of Life will take place at 4 p.m. at the Sportsman’s Club on Route 209 in Phippsburg.
To share your thoughts and condolences with the family, visit www.desmondfuneralhomes.com.
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