Helen Mary Wilayto: A century-plus of a life lived well Helen Mary Wilayto, a longtime Concord resident whose life began during the worldwide flu epidemic of 1918, spanned the Great Depression, the Second World War, the birth and rearing of five children and all the many changes since, passed away peacefully on Aug. 12 after a brief hospitalization, surrounded by family members. She was 103 years old. Helen was born in Belmont, Mass., on Dec. 4, 1918, to Cecelia and Joseph Butchard, the children of immigrants. She had a happy childhood, even during the difficult days of the 1930s, because her father had a good job as a union typesetter for the Boston Herald, one of the country's oldest daily newspapers. As a teenager, she joined an amateur tennis club, played golf and won jitterbug contests with her dance partner, her brother Bill. Early friendships with other teenage girls developed into a group of women who met monthly to socialize and talk through the challenges of the day. Called simply The Club, it was an institution that lasted more than 60 years. After a short stint as a domestic worker, a field in which her mother and aunts had worked, she trained as a telephone operator. During WWII she answered the call for operators to relocate to Washington, D.C., the center of the war effort, to help with the great influx of wartime calls. As such, she became part of the great wave of women entering the workforce in unprecedented numbers, gaining experience, confidence and a sense of independence that would change the country for the better. In 1936, 18-year-old Helen accepted the suggestion of a girlfriend for a blind date and met the love of her life, Henry "Hank" John Wilayto, 19, a survivor of a childhood spent in foster homes who had a burning desire to succeed in life. The two began dating until Hank, unable to find a decent job during the Depression, joined the Army in December of 1940 and was sent to the Philippines. One year later, the attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II. The U.S. and Filipino troops in the Philippines were defeated in the Battle of Bataan and Corregidor, which was followed by the infamous Bataan Death March and years of deprivation in prison camps. Hank survived it all, while saving the lives of other POWs and even participating in many acts of sabotage against the enemy's military. During this time, Helen joined the U.S. Army women's auxiliary, taking courses in first aid, navigation and auto repair. After the war, on their honeymoon drive across the country, Helen read the maps while Hank drove. They got lost. "I thought you said you took a course in navigation?" Hank asked his young wife. "I did," Helen replied, "I didn't say I passed!" In the years that Hank was held as a POW, Helen was able to receive just four of his many letters to her. But after he returned home in 1945, they reunited, married and went on to have 63 years of life together. For most of that time, Helen was a homemaker, which included being a Cub Scout Den Mother and strong supporter of all her children's forays into sports and other hobbies. She also worked for 10 years for the Watertown school system, giving hearing tests to the children. For many years, Hank and Helen ran a bus travel club for elders called Concord Traveling Seniors. Both were frequent visitors to the senior center run by the Concord Council on Aging, where Helen, a high school graduate, held her own in the weekly coffee conversations with retired doctors, lawyers and professors. Both Helen and Hank were active members of their church communities, first in Belmont and then in Concord. And both regularly attended functions of the American Defenders of Bataan & Corregidor, a veterans organization that Hank co-founded and for which he served a term as National Commander. Helen was the matriarch of her ever-growing family. She was the one everyone checked in with and the one who made sure that everyone knew how everyone else was doing. She and Hank, who was affectionately known as "Poppi" to his many grandchildren, were the anchors of the extended network, a role she continued to play after Hank's passing in 2009 at the age of 92. In her later years, Helen survived an operation on a brain tumor, the gradual loss of her eyesight, bronchitis, arthritis and various other physical challenges, including a bout with COVID-19. But with the help of her nearby daughters and various support people, she managed to stay independent, living in her own home, cooking many of her own meals, keeping up with the daily news and enjoying audio books from the Carroll Center for the Blind, particularly those dealing with biographies and U.S. history or a good romance. As she aged, Helen also developed severe osteoporosis. It was after a couple of minor falls at home this August that her health seriously deteriorated, leading to a brief hospitalization before her passing. In recent years, people would ask Helen the secret of her longevity. "Healthy food, plenty of sleep, exercise and some relaxation," she would tell them. Her own form of relaxing was an afternoon timeout with the music of Tony Bennett, then a Judge Judy, followed by David Muir with the evening news. And maybe a glass of red wine with dinner. You could add to that prescription one more thing: a sense of purpose. For Helen, it was caring for her family and giving back to the community, her genuine interest in other people, her religious faith and her abiding optimism. And she had this observation for those who remarked on the difficult times she had lived through: "It's a great life if you don't weaken," she would say. In addition to her husband, Hank, Helen was predeceased by her brothers Henry and William "Bill" Butchard and her sister Elizabeth "Betty" Butchard. She is survived by her children, Anne Wilayto Bishop, of Milton, Mass.; Philip Henry Wilayto and his wife Ana Edwards of Richmond, Va.; Allan Wilayto and his wife Susan of Hilton Head, S.C.; Kathy MacDonald and her husband Ed of Brewster, Mass.; and Margaret Gallagher and her husband David of Shutesbury, Mass. Also her grandchildren Nathan, Jenna, Jared, Jason, Chris, Kelsey, Zachary, Caitlin, Walker, Dawn, Kira and Taimir, and nine great-grandchildren (with one on the way.) Family and friends are invited to visiting hours from 4 to 7 pm on Friday, August 19th at Dee Funeral Home, 27 Bedford Street, Concord Center. Her funeral will be held on Saturday, August 20th at 9 am from the Dee Funeral Home, followed by a Funeral Mass at 10 am in Holy Family Parish, Monument Square, Concord Center. Burial will follow at St. Bernard's Cemetery in Concord. The family is asking that, in lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Helen might instead make a contribution to the Carroll Center for the Blind or the National CMV Foundation . Arrangements are under the care of Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.