SCARBOROUGH – Helen was born the fourth of six children to Maurice and Ellen Babcock on Sept. 9, 1937, in Everett, Mass. She passed away peacefully, after a brief illness, on April 8, 2021, surrounded by her loving children, Laura Hurd Whited (Jess), Carleton “Ron” Hurd and Chris Hurd (Julie).

Helen is also survived by four grandchildren, James and Emma Whited and Allison and Jack Hurd; two sisters, Loretta Prestia (Lenny) and Barbara Drago (Dom); 17 nieces and nephews; and many, many dear friends. Her devoted partner of 37 years, Carl “Al” Erickson of Medford, Mass. will miss her deeply everyday.

She is predeceased by her sister, Rita Bernhard and brothers, Jack and Jim Babcock.

Helen was an educator, teaching for over 40 years, mainly at Nathan Clifford School in Portland after receiving her bachelor’s degree in education from Salem Teachers College. She was dedicated to teaching and touched the lives of over 1,000 kindergarten children—sometimes over 50 in one year! There were many occasions where she was stopped by former students thanking her for giving them an exceptional start to their schooling years.

The family will be holding visiting hours for friends, neighbors, former colleagues and students at Jones, Rich and Barnes in Portland on Wednesday, April 14 from 4 to 7 p.m. A celebration of Helen’s life will follow; anyone wanting to share a memory will be welcomed to do so at this time. Helen will be laid to rest the following day in a private ceremony.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Gosnell Memorial Hospice House of Scarborough, Maine, where Helen and her family received loving care in her final days.

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