Helen Cavanagh
Helen Harer Cavanagh, a long-time resident of Central Valley, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 17, 2014, in Bradenton, Fla., where she had lived for the past 22 years. She was 88.
Helen was born April 16, 1925, in Highland Falls, the daughter of Lt. Col. Leon Farrell Harer and Blandina Pajkuric.
Together with her two brothers, Leon Cyril Harer and Henry Harer, who both predeceased her, Helen grew up in an oft-moved U.S. military family. She lived in many different places in the United States and abroad but always considered Highland Falls to be her family home.
Helen’s great-grandparents on the Farrell side immigrated from Ireland to West Point in the early 1840's and they and subsequent generations were part of the Irish work force at West Point.
Her Harer great-grandparents settled across the river in Peekskill around the same time.
Helen's father met and married her mother Blandina in Vladivostok, Siberia, in 1918, where Captain Harer was stationed with the U.S. Army. The Pajkuric family was one of many Eastern European families who fled across Russia after World War I, trying to stay ahead of the Russian Red Army.
Helen married Arthur F. Cavanagh Sr. on a snowy Jan. 29, 1949 at West Point. Art was the son of Billy Cavanagh, West Point's famed boxing coach for 30 years, a well-known referee for many Madison Square Garden title fights and a champion boxer (under the name Billy Glover) in his own right.
Shortly after they were married, Art and Helen moved over the mountain to Central Valley. Art eventually became president of the Central Valley National Bank and their sons Bill and Casey are proud graduates of Monroe-Woodbury.
After 38 very happily married years, Art died on their anniversary, Jan. 29, 1987.
Helen was the paradigm stay-at-home mom during the 1950's and 1960's. Life revolved around school life for the kids, the St. Patrick’s Church community, the Community Pond in Central Valley and the many civic activities that took up a lot of Art and Helen's time.
Helen then turned her civic involvement into a professional career and served on the staff of Assemblyman Bill Ryan and state Sen. Art Gray.
She was also a New York State Democratic Committeewoman and the deputy commissioner of Elections for Orange County, before retiring to Bradenton in 1992.
In retirement, Helen remained a very active Democratic Party volunteer in Bradenton and was scheduled to stuff envelopes right up until she passed away.
Helen is survived by her son Bill and his two children Kaitlyn McCormick-Cavanagh and Conor McCormick-Cavanagh; and her son Casey and his step-children Michelle Kardys, Charlie Santangelo and Laura Hosking and his four grandchildren.
She is also survived by many Hull, Tonioli, McCollam and Cavanagh nieces and nephews and their children, and by many Farrell family cousins. Helen was fiercely proud of her extended family and their many accomplishments.
Helen considered Highland Falls, Central Valley and the Hudson Valley to be her home but she also loved the Bradenton, Fla., area and leaves behind many dear friends in Bradenton's Mount Vernon community.
Visitation will be Friday, Jan. 24, from 3 to 8 p.m., at the Smith, Seaman and Quackenbush, Inc. Funeral Home, 117 Maple Ave., Monroe.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday Jan. 25, at 10 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Church, 448 Route 32, Highland Mills.
Burial will take place at Cemetery of the Highlands in Highland Mills.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Woodbury Community Ambulance, 376 Route 32, Central Valley, NY 10917 or the Woodbury Historical Society, P.O. Box 30, Highland Mills, NY 10930.
Funeral arrangements are by Smith, Seaman & Quackenbush Inc. Funeral Home. For additional information, call 845-782-8185 or visit online at www.ssqfuneralhome.com.