Helen Rita Rubbo

Helen Rita Rubbo, age 92, December 5, 2015. Beloved mother of Sr. Fidelis (Cathy) Rubbo, Nick (Janis) Rubbo, Mary Lehman, Mike (Becky) Rubbo, Betty Canasi, Jeanette Moore, Joe (Mary) Rubbo, Peggy Rubbo, Jim (Rose) Rubbo and Mark (Laura) Rubbo. Loving grandmother of 25, great grandmother of 31 and great great grandmother of 3. Dear sister-in-law of Sal Rubbo and Helen Wittersheim. Also survived by many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Nick; siblings Marie Exel, Thelma Exel, Lenny Wittersheim, Genevieve Wittersheim, Jerry Wittersheim and Phyllis Zawol; and many friends, most recently Joanne Farver and Sister Winifred Templin. Helen was close to her family of origin, happy for her Catholic education and piano lessons at St. Alphonsus in Dearborn, and very proud to have served her country in World War II as a Wave in Rhode Island. She was one of the original "Rosie the Riveters." She felt very blessed to have married our father, Nick, whom she had met in the Navy, and "loved (her) babies," all ten of us. She was always happiest being with family, enjoying holidays, and a yearly reunion at the lake. She had a light and adventurous spirit, enjoying traveling to visit her children and grandchildren, a trip to Hawaii, and playing the slots at the casinos. She enjoyed playing pinochle all her life, and had bowled and gone to the lake with us as kids. She loved Big Band music, reading, working word puzzles, watching game shows, and eating good seafood and coney dogs. She was a good cook, most famous for her lasagna, and did flower gardening when her children were young. She and our father were dedicated members of St. Raphael's Church, now St. Thomas the Apostle, in Garden City, and were good friends to the Sisters and priests. All of her children graduated from the grade school, and she was involved in the Altar Rosary Society, the St. Francis Guild, and was one of the original women to usher at the 4:30 Mass. After she was widowed she was employed at the rectory, and later at St. Theodore's in Westland, raising her youngest seven children alone. She loved her work at the St. Vincent de Paul store in Dearborn Heights, and did that until she was in her 80's. She attended the parish festival every year, including this year. One of her greatest joys this past year was celebrating Communion services at home with two of her daughters and receiving the Anointing of the Sick from the pastor, Fr. Simeon Iber in October. She was indeed a woman of faith, family and good fun, joining her senior center buddies in dressing up for Halloween and other occasions. She had an infectious spirit that was accepting of everyone, a very generous and thoughtful heart that was always doing and saying the little things which encourage and lift people up. She loved a good joke and could take one too. She was quick to laugh and quick to love with a positive spirit that didn't know complaint. She will be sorely missed by her family, friends, parishioners, all her children's pets, and the birds and squirrels at her home on Maplewood. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Thursday, December 10, 2015, at 10am (instate at 9:30am) at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, Garden City. Visitation will be on Wednesday from 2pm until 9pm at the RG & GR Harris Funeral Home, 31551 Ford Rd., Garden City. There will be a Rosary and Eulogies Wednesday at 7pm. In Helen's memory, donations may be made to the Sisters of St. Francis, in Sylvania, Ohio. Funeral Home: R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Home and Cremation Services - GC 31551 Ford Rd. Garden City, MI US 48335