December 17, 1925 - September 17, 2020

Helen Jean Wright was placed on this earth in a farmhouse near the small town of Jefferson, Iowa on Dec 17, 1925. The daughter of Daniel and Rose Witter was born prematurely and not expected to live. To keep her warm, her loving parents placed her in a shoe box on the open door of their wood-burning stove. Helen remained on the farm throughout her youth and graduated from Jefferson High School in 1943. She briefly moved to San Diego with her husband, but returned to Iowa with her first son, Gregg, after a short-lived marriage. In early 1951, she married Donald Dean Wright and moved to the Downey home where they would live for the next 67 years.
In late 1951, Helen gave birth to Larry and in mid-1954 to her only daughter, Dana. With young children at home, Helen was an excellent homemaker, excelling in cooking, sewing and general housekeeping. She especially enjoyed sewing and arts & crafts. As the children got older, Helen worked as a yard supervisor at Downey Elementary School for one year. She also volunteered to be the Team Mom and scorekeeper for Larry’s DJAA sports teams for several years.
In the late 1960’s, Helen was hired by Bank of America as a teller. She worked at the Downey Main Branch in various positions for some 20 years before retiring. She enjoyed her job immensely because, as she told her family, she met many interesting people that she came to know well.
Helen was a generous supporter of the Downey Center for Spiritual Living for over 30 years, and served on its Board, including as President.
Helen’s travels included a month-long tour of Europe, an Alaskan cruise, a trip to Colorado which included a tour of ancient cliff dwellings, a trip to Branson, MO which included a tour of regional caverns, and a trip to Massachusetts which included a tour of historic sites. During their Golden Anniversary, Helen & Dean were to cruise the Hawaiian Islands but were stuck on board off Oahu due to the 9/11 attack. Daniel, their son-in-law and native of Oahu, hosted a second trip to Hawaii a few years later, during which Helen and Dean greatly enjoyed meeting Daniel’s family, and seeing the sites.
As she aged, Helen suffered from severe pain in nearly all her joints. Two operations to replace her knee failed, and arthritic hips, shoulders and spine caused enormous pain. Yet, she endured the pain gracefully, often joking that “the only things that don’t hurt are my eyelids.” With every bill she paid, she wrote on the check in the memo section, “Life is Good!” She was quick to laugh at jokes, and always enjoyed family gatherings and the company of others. She was a loving mother, a patient wife, and a loyal, trustworthy friend.
Very suddenly and without warning, God took Helen away from us on Thursday, Sept. 17, three months before her 95th birthday.
Helen is pre-deceased by all her siblings (John, Ruth, and Lois). She is survived by Dean, her husband of 69 years, her daughter Dana (Daniel Naone), son Larry (Alicia), grandson Victor, son Gregg Durlam (Diana) from a previous marriage, and their sons Daniel & Michael. Helen also had numerous nieces and nephews. She is bereaved by many, many others.
Services are currently scheduled for Oct 2 at the Downey Center for Spiritual Living but, due to the Coronavirus, invited attendance is required to be extremely limited. Condolences can be mailed to: D.D. Wright, P.O. Box 4999, Downey CA 90241. Donations can be sent to the Downey Center for Spiritual Living at 10000 Paramount Blvd., Downey CA 90240 or on their website.