Helen Eaton Zecher

Helen was born in Rutland, Vermont, the third child of Elmer Dana and Gladys Boutwell Eaton. Both her parents came from “the hills” of Vermont. Her father delivered petroleum products for Sacony Oil (which later became Mobil) starting with horse-drawn tanks. Helen was preceded in death by her parents and four siblings: Kenneth, Kathryn, Carolyne and Robert.

Her eldest brother, Kenneth Eaton, enlisted in the Army during WW2 and while training in Texas, he contracted encephalitis and died in 1943. She spoke of him often, especially during her later years. She and her sisters enjoyed lengthy nature walks while growing up and completed household chores from which their youngest brother Bobby was excused. After graduating from Rutland High School, she worked at the University of Vermont in Burlington, VT and changed jobs to General Electric when she noticed that the young men at the university “kept getting younger!”. She met her future husband, Robert O Zecher, a young engineer, when he arrived for an appointment at the office where she worked. After initially turning down his request for a date, she agreed after the second invitation. They were married on May 27, 1951, and set up housekeeping in Schenectady, NY. While there, they attended First Church (Presbyterian) where both of them accepted Jesus as their Savior within a few months of each other. Robert joined a group of GE engineers who met for weekly Sunday School/Bible Studies. In 1953, their first child Freda was born. They moved to their Oakley Drive home in Syracuse in 1955 where Helen lived for a total of 63 years. Mercy, a tiny preemie who was featured in the newspaper when she finally went home after 2 months in what would now be called NICU, was born in Syracuse in 1960.

Helen was active at South Presbyterian Church in a variety of ministries but mainly with teaching children; she was a leader in Pioneer Girls, taught “Release Time” classes when children were released early from school to attend religious education and vacation Bible school in the summer. She was involved in these types of ministries well into her 90’s. She supported Christian Women’s Club and served as president of the Syracuse chapter for several years. Helen and Robert were faithful financial supporters of missionaries at home and overseas. This past December, she enjoyed a visit from a missionary couple still serving in Guatemala; the friendship and support of this couple began in the late 1960’s.

Helen enjoyed gardening, sewing clothes for the family and eventually became an avid quilter. She embraced camping and the great outdoors as they were important to her husband’s life. Family adventures in the 1960’s and 70’s included trips out west to National Parks with lodging in a tent dubbed “Aunt Minnie” and extended stays in Arizona in seasonal rentals during retirement years. Robert passed in 2005 having lived a very full life. Helen maintained the family home until she was 94 years old; wonderful friends and neighbors assisted her in the last few years in Syracuse. Daily walks in the neighborhood and to the grocery store became her exercise, social life and gave mental clarity. She hosted a weekly women’s Bible Study in her home until she moved to South Carolina.

Helen moved to Rock Hill, SC in August 2019, where she lived in a lovely two-bedroom apartment at Chandler Place Independent Living. She participated in the choir and the handbell choir in which she frequently told Mercy “I play only one note!”. She spent four years there and attended Ebenezer Presbyterian Church (ARP) with the generosity of drivers who provided transportation. Helen enjoyed being the passenger for drives in the country exploring new areas, ice cream outings and watching the fountain at Fountain Park as well as family gatherings with daughter Mercy and her husband Scott.

Helen loved to work on jigsaw puzzles and play games; Scrabble, Rummikub and Bolo (dice game) were on the top of her list, and she was the Rummikub family champion until the last few weeks of her life. After a fall and hairline fracture of her right hip, she moved to Harbor Chase Assisted Living in October 2023; in 2024 she moved again, to Rock Hill Post Acute Care Center, with various hospital and rehab stays during this time. Even after losing the ability to walk, she never lost her charming and inquisitive personality. Helen retained her sense of wit and humor which was acknowledged and appreciated by the staff at all of her residences. On the last day she spoke, she asked one of her nurses to pray with her. Those were most likely the last words she spoke on this earth which were soon followed by her greeting in heaven “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

Helen was a quiet influencer all her life and her family and friends will miss her. She is survived by her two daughters, Freda Zecher-Tropp (late Bruce Tropp) of Williamsville NY and Mercy Zecher Dawson (Scott) of Rock Hill, SC; six grandchildren and their families including five great granddaughters. Also survived by spiritual daughter Madalyn Thiemann (Dale) of Winchester, VA.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Teen Challenge Syracuse, 124 Furman St., Syracuse, NY 13205.

Feel free to leave the family your condolences via the guestbook provided.