Helen M. Mortimer

Helen M. Mortimer passed away on Thursday, January 21, at Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. Her granddaughter Katie, and some of her close friends were able to be with her during her last few days. Her daughter stayed with her at the hospital, where Helen had been admitted following a stroke on Sunday morning. She was well cared for, and she was loved. Helen is survived by her daughter, Melinda O’Brien (who lives in Oceanside, California with her partner, David Baker); her granddaughter Kathyrn Jeff O’Brien (who is married to Jonathon Regan and lives in West Milford, New Jersey), and her amazing, three-month old great-grandson, Dylan Danger Regan. Helen’s older brother, William Dale Connolly, lives with his wife Ruth in Washington.  As her family and friends are well aware, Helen had an indomitable spirit and an enduring dedication to her values and the people she loved. She was an adventurous, unfaltering mother and grandmother, a loyal wife and a steadfast friend.  Helen was a graduate of Franklin High School, and was a solid citizen of her local community and her country. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church and an elected Venango County Auditor and Jury Commissioner. She loved to play bridge, and in earlier years she enjoyed water-skiing and square dancing with her husband. She spent most of her life in Franklin, and between her work at the court house and her many years at Biery’s Insurance, she seemed to know everybody in town.  Helen was preceded in death by her husband, Richard E. Mortimer, and her sister, Sarah Flaugh.Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the Gardinier Funeral Home, Inc., 1315 Chestnut Street in Franklin. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM, Tuesday, January 26, at the First United Methodist Church in Franklin. with Pastor Jeff Little, pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Franklin, officiating.To send online condolences, flowers, cards, or for further information, friends and family are invited to visit www.gardinierfuneralhome.com