Helen Irene Gallo

Helen Irene Gallo of Riverhead entered into eternal rest on the evening of Nov. 22. She was 92 years old.Born in Connecticut on Jan. 21, 1926, Helen was predeceased by her parents, Paul and Mary Baclawski; her brother, Joseph; and her loving husband of 63 years, Ralph “Sonny” Gallo.

Helen married Sonny, the love of her life, in 1949. The couple settled in Riverhead, where they raised three children.

A devoted mother and consummate homemaker, Helen enjoyed cooking, sewing, holiday decorating, maintaining her meticulous garden, lounging by the pool with her children and grandchildren and, most notably, caring for her family. She held court in her kitchen, in the quaint home she and Sonny built, where all her visitors convened. As a homemaker, wife, mother and grandmother, Helen was strong, capable and tireless, always striving to bring joy to those around her. She filled her days with the simple, non-grandiose moments that made up her beautiful life.

She is survived by her daughters, Linda (James, deceased) Turner, Sandra (Gerard) Doroski and Helen (Thomas) Santacroce; her grandchildren, James, Karen, Elizabeth, Patricia, Kathleen, Christina, Jennifer, Gerard, Nancy, Brian, Amanda, Andrew and Allyson; and 22 great-grandchildren.

Helen’s life was celebrated and memorialized in a private service at McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead. Interment followed at Riverhead Cemetery.

This is a paid notice.