Theckla (Tek) Helides Snell born October 26, 1924 in Taunton, MA to Ernest Michael & Alexandra (Evans/ Evangeliou) Helides.
She was baptized in Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Fall River, MA.
She attended Taunton High graduating in 1942, then entered the Nursing Degree program at Mt Sinai in New York City, earning her degree in 1946 as a Registered Nurse (RN).
While playing piano at an USO dance, she met her future husband Charles Roland Snell, Jr. from Cincinnati, OH and they were married in 1946. Together they traveled, laughed and raised champion goats.
Theckla is a retired School Nurse, and Health Care Manager officer, for City of Taunton.
She also attended Bristol County, Business College in 1949 for Accounting and Typing which aided her at her family’s business The Transfer Restaurant on Weir Street in Taunton.
In 1966, she received her Real Estate Broker license from Lee Real Estate School in Brookline, MA.
She also attended Brown University, Providence RI in 1950 for Psychology (Abnormal) Course; Bristol County Agricultural School, Dighton, MA – Dairy Laboratory Course receiving Milk Tester License; University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA in 1973 for Principles of Health Agency, Planning and Evaluating and again in 1981 for Health Economics for Public Health Administrators.
She was a member of
American Public Health Association New England Public Health Association, President 1981 Massachusetts Public Health Association, Executive Board Massachusetts Health Officers Association, Executive Board Community Health Improvement Committee, Taunton, MA, President 1984 Massachusetts Board Certification of Health Officers, Two appointments Foxboro State Hospital, Trustee Taunton Visiting Nurses Association, Advisory Board Taunton Head Start Program American Cancer Society, Taunton Chapter Taunton Quota Club, Past President Salvation Army, Local Chapter, Welfare Secretary, 16 years Taunton Woman’s Club – Past President General Federation of Women’s Club of Massachusetts, Director
She received the President’s Award, New England Public Health Association and also received a key to the City of Taunton, MA in 1988
She was a skilled piano player of classical and jazz. To pay for her piano lessons, she sold magazine subscriptions.
She enjoyed her travels to Greece and Barbados, as well as mission trips utilizing her nursing skills.
She enjoyed summering on Prudence Island in Narragansett Bay where she and Charlie loved to invite family and friends to fish and quahog.
She became an active board member of, and advocate of, the Prudence Island Historical & Preservation Society as well as Prudence Island Quilters, Prudence Island Planning Commission and Prudence Island Conservancy.
She contributed her Prudence Island baked stuff quahog clams to the “Prudence Cooks Then & Now” recipe book.
Her 5 o’clock happy hours, her infamous quahog “stuffies”, her slow mischievous smile, twinkling eyes and generous heart will be missed.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her younger brother, Sava, and his wife, Dolores; her other younger brother Ernest, Jr. and his wife Evelyn.
She is survived by the following nephews and nieces, Michael (Natasha) Holiday of Wellesley, MA; Nicholas (Zina) Helides of Salem MA; Marianne Hermanson (Brian Watson) of Seattle, WA; Steve Helides of Glenshaw, PA; Mark (Beth) Helides of Bairdford, PA; Mary (Dave) Helides Radacosky of Pittsburgh, PA; Joanne (Brian) Helides Custard of Meadville, PA; Paul Helides, Glenshaw, PA; Elaine (Mark) Helides Lascher of Allison Park, PA; Sandy Snell of Alexandria KY and Tina Hurd of Lexington, Kentucky.
In lieu of flowers, Theckla requested that donations please be made to The Snell Memorial Fund c/o St. Demetrios Church, Fall River, MA or The Theckla Helides Snell and Charles R. Snell, Jr. Scholarship Fund for Nursing and for Electronics c/o Taunton High School, Taunton, MA.
Visiting Hours will be held on Sunday, September 22, 2019 from 4 to 8 pm in the Silva Funeral Home 80 Broadway (at Saint Mary’s Square.) Taunton. Additional parking with handicap access is located on the North side of the Funeral Home.
A funeral service will be held on Monday, September 23, 2019 at 10 am in Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church , Fall River. (Relatives and friends may meet directly at the church at 9:45am. Interment will follow in Mayflower Hill Cemetery, Taunton next to her beloved husband. For expressions of sympathy, to sign an online guestbook or to light a memorial candle, visit www.silvafuneralhome.com
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