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The family of SISTER HELEN GREGORY COTTER uploaded a photo
Monday, February 28, 2022
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Jim Walsh posted a condolence
Friday, September 7, 2018
A recent conversation jogged my memories of Sister Helen and triggered me to see if I could find anything about her online. I wish I had done so a few years ago; I would have loved to tell her how much she helped me many years ago. I'll tell the story now in hopes that her family and friends will have another good memory.
I was an 8th grade student of Sister Helen's in the 1967/68 school year at St. Mary's in Dumont NJ. I absolutely adored her! She was very demanding and always caring. She always called me by my last name: not Mr. Walsh but merely "Walsh!" She ran a tight classroom, strict, but not in a way that made you afraid of her. Lots of learning went on!
In January 1968 my appendix ruptured and I had an emergency appendectomy. Unfortunately the surgery was badly botched and a week later I nearly died. It was an awful trauma for me and my family. But there was Sister Helen coming in to see me, patiently listening to my story and giving me a hug (which scared me; being hugged by a nun!). I'll never forget her looking at me and saying "Walsh you'll be ok. I want you back in class!"
So thank you to Sister Helen Gregory and I surely wished I had told her how much she meant to me a long time ago. But I hope that this story will help those of you who loved her and grieve her passing.
Jim Walsh
