ALBANY - Helen H. Scanlan, 97, passed away on Sunday, December 5, 2010 at the Teresian House. She was a native daughter of Albany, born in 1913. Her parents were James Hurley and Frances Hurley, neé Kirchner. She was educated at St. Patrick elementary school, from which she graduated in 1928, and then Vincentian Institute. After graduating she attended Siena College as an evening student and worked as a secretary. She married Joseph I. Scanlan of Yonkers NY in 1944 who was serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps.
After the end of World War II, the couple returned to Albany, but soon after moved to the New York City area, where they raised their family. After the retirement of her husband in 1970, they moved back to the Albany area. For many of these years they lived in Salem NY. In more recent years she lived at the Beverwyck retirement community and then in assisted living.
Helen has always been active in women's groups in her local Catholic Church and in the community. She was always interested in reading and in educating herself. While retired in Salem NY, she took classes at Adirondack Community College in Glens Falls and received an A.A. degree in 1981. At that time, she was the oldest person ever to receive an A.A. from the college. Also in Salem, she compiled and wrote a history of Holy Cross parish which was published in 1988.
Helen is survived by her children, Michael J. (Anni) Scanlan, Eileen S. (Thomas) Mulvihill, and Joseph P. Scanlan and her grandchildren, Anne and Amy Mulvihill. She was predeceased by her husband, Joseph I. Scanlan; her sisters, Frances Hurley, Beatrice Phelan, Kathleen Bojczuk, and her brother, John Hurley.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday at the Infant of Prague Chapel at the Teresian House. Interment will follow at Our Lady Help of Christians Cemetery in Glenmont.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Teresian House, 200 Washington Ave., Ext., Albany, NY 12203 in memory of Helen H. Scanlan.