Helen Clancy Luciano

-- Helen (Clancy) Luciano, of Tega Cay, S.C., a whip-smart woman who was ahead of her time, died Sat. Aug. 10, at Atrium Health, Pineville N.C. She was 79 years old. She is survived by her husband, Frank; daughter Elizabeth (Paul Lupinacci), and son Raymond (Arlene). She is also survived by her grandchildren, Benjamin and Anna Lupinacci, and Jessica Luciano.
Helen was a woman of determination. Even as a child, when the neighborhood Brownie troop was filled, she talked her way into an alternate troop. As an adult, she insisted on completing her education, and later founded a teacher's union nearly single-handedly. She sewed with enough skill to replace the linings of leather coats. She demonstrated this same determination, as well as a measure of grace, in dealing with challenging health issues, during the past 14 months.
Helen grew up in Flushing, New York, and met her future husband at a rehearsal for an Easter Passion play. The couple married in 1961, and eventually settled in Matawan Township (now Aberdeen) N.J., where they raised their family. She was a teacher, having earned a bachelor's degree from Queens College, and a master's degree from Rutgers University. In her fifties, she returned to school and earned an advanced certificate from Georgian Court College, which enabled her to help educate students with an array of learning disabilities. She excelled at this work, and felt it was her calling.
She believed there was great value in seeing the world, and with her husband, visited places as varied as London, Hong Kong, Ireland, Scandinavia, the Canadian Rockies, and Vienna. The couple particularly enjoyed sailing through the Panama Canal. She also travelled extensively throughout the United States, and was quite taken with the National Parks. However, she did not camp while there, as that was not her preference.
Helen moved to Tega Cay S.C. in 2003, and loved living here. She was a member of the local bridge club and the Vintage Club. She was a parishioner at St. Philip Neri Roman Catholic Church, where she was a Eucharistic minister, and faithfully donated baked ziti for the Italian Festival each year. She enjoyed weekly lunch dates with her husband, particularly if there was sushi involved. She adored classic movies, especially "The African Queen," and was partial to ice cream (maple-walnut or butter pecan), or a nicely-prepared Manhattan cocktail. Her nails were always perfectly manicured, even during her final days.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond and Irene (Maher) Clancy; her sister, Virginia; and several cherished cousins.
Services will be 10 a.m., Sat. Sept. 7, at St. Philip Neri Roman Catholic Church in Fort Mill S.C., with a reception immediately following the services, in the Parish Hall.
Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to the Tega Cay Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., 7200 Tega Cay Drive, Tega Cay, S.C. , 29708

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