Helen (MacNeil) Brandon, 78, of Hingham, MA left this world in peace with her son and daughter by her side and her loving family present on May 8th, 2019 after a brief journey with pancreatic cancer. She was born in Boston on July 20th, 1940 to the late John and Catherine (Gillis) MacNeil, and was one of five daughters. Family was everything to Helen.
She was a beautiful mother and grandmother who showered love and laughter on us all. The mother of Pamela Marshman and her husband Todd of Cohasset, and Mark Brandon and his wife Emily of North Carolina. The fun-loving, caring, and supportive “Nanny” to her grandchildren, Thomas, Audrey, and Crosby.
The devoted sister to Betty Harvey and her husband Jim of North Weymouth, Charlotte Mastroianni and her husband Nick of Milford, Joan Ruggiero and her husband Angelo of South Lawrence, Ann Marie McGrail of Walpole, and a favorite Aunt to many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. Helen’s energy for life knew no bounds. She loved tennis and enjoyed playing with her longtime friends as a member of the Scituate Harbor Yacht Club and with her Wednesday Night Tennis companions who had as much fun on the court as off.
She could be found swimming in the pool or ocean for hours and soaking up the sun on the beach. Her friendships were deep and meaningful. Days spent with friends antiquing, road tripping to Chatham, movie going or talking about spiritual growth were some of her favorites.
An avid life long learner, she was dedicated to learning about a variety of topics including her great interest in opera, history, and politics which she loved to debate and was never afraid to voice her opinion. She was able to travel to one of her favorite places in the world, Italy. More than anything else, one of her most treasured ways to spend her time was supporting her grandchildren in all their pursuits like baseball, tennis, cross country, skiing and soccer.
She graduated from Notre Dame Academy in 1959 and recently celebrated a special reunion with her old NDA friends. Helen enjoyed several careers, many of which involved one of her passions – helping others. Whether she was helping someone to plan a special event, locate a perfect piece of furniture, or assist a family in buying a home, Helen worked tirelessly to ensure their needs were met.
She spent many years as a Realtor with Coldwell Banker in Hingham before retiring in 2016. Her gift for seeing and appreciating beauty was apparent in her love for home design, furnishings and art. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held in Helen’s honor on May 17th, 2019 1pm at St. Paul’s Church, 147 North St., Hingham followed by a reception at the Scituate Harbor Yacht Club.
All who knew and loved Helen are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Helen’s honor to the Pat Roche Hospice Home in Hingham. Her family is so grateful she enjoyed her last days surrounded by the beauty of this home and more importantly, the special moments with friends and family who visited.
Helen was a beautiful spirit with extraordinary energy and great wisdom. She will be remembered for her contagious laughter, tight and warm hugs, bright smile, sincerity, selflessness, and her love for family.
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