Helena R. (Mehlhorn) McCusker

Helena R. (Mehlhorn) McCusker 1932 – 2020 WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Helena passed away peacefully on July 4, 2020 at her home in Westerville, Ohio. She joins her husband, Donald, parents Herbert and Helena Mehlhorn, brother Robert, sister Anne, and many relatives and friends in Heaven. Helena was a loving, kind, caring, thoughtful wife, mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, and friend. Helena grew up in Brunswick, graduated from the University of Maine, Orono in 1954 and was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. Helena earned a degree in math and was proud of her first job at the Glen L. Martin Company where she was a computer programmer and traveled to New York to work on their early, large computers. Helena married Donald McCusker of South Portland, in October 1954 and they had six children. During their marriage they moved often for Donald’s work as a test pilot, living in Maryland, California, Ohio and South Dakota. Helena loved telling stories of her life in Maine, and would return each summer with her family to their cottage on Little Sebago to enjoy visiting with family and friends. When Donald was in an airplane accident in Greece, Helena traveled to Greece for several months to oversee his recovery and later worked with attorney Stuart M. Speiser on his book, The Deadly Sins of Aristotle Onassis which describes their ordeal. Later in life, Donald developed Alzheimer’s and Helena cared for him until his death in 2000. Helena was a wonderful, caring, supportive, hands-on mother who gave her children the freedom to enjoy lots of activities, have several pets, and explore new adventures. She was devoted to her family and loved getting together with family and friends to celebrate their birthdays, holidays and accomplishments. Over the years Helena worked outside the home at Hylen Souders Elementary, Gene’s Alterations, and in the J.C. Penny’s Credit Department. Helena had a beautiful singing voice and loved to sing. She was also very creative throughout her life. She was an expert seamstress and sewed beautiful clothes for her daughters. She created amazing dolls and doll’s clothes, cross stitch pictures, many beautiful knit crocheted blankets, and pretty colored pictures and she gave these as gifts that we can now remember her by. In her later years, at Christmas she created “pencil boxes” filled with small gifts for her many grandchildren. Helena is survived by her brother, Herbert Mehlhorn; six grateful children, Karen (Roland) McCusker, Mike McCusker, Tom (Mercy) McCusker, Mary (Todd) Fuller, Jean (Len) Schuman, and John McCusker; grandchildren, Luke, Charlene, Darrel, Jason, Emma-Kate, Nicholas (Emily), Rebecca, Jessica, Amanda; a great-grandchild (Nicholas/Emily) expected in January; and many nieces and nephews. With respect to her wishes, a funeral service is not planned. Helena will be greatly missed and always remembered. She would wish for everyone to “Be Creative and Enjoy Life!” We invite you to share memories/comments on the following web page through Moreland Funeral Home. http://www.morelandfuneralhome.com and click on Obituaries.