Helen (Elena) Teresa (Fantelli) Palmer, born at home on August 20, 1927 in Somerset NJ to Louis and Maddelena (Bottea) Fantelli, was the youngest of three children. By the time she was 4 years old, Helen wanted to go to school so she followed her sister Livia to St. Peter’s Parochial School every school day. Appreciating Helen’s desire to learn and persistence, the nuns allowed Helen to be enrolled. She graduated with honors from St Peter’s High School at age 16. Helen worked for the New Jersey State Crippled Children Commission in Trenton and New Brunswick for 2 years, and then for Dr. Estelle Kleiber, Cardiologist from 1946-1953. In 1948, she married the love of her life, Edward J. Palmer. They had one child, Diane Theresa.

Helen was a stay at home mother from 1953-1965. In 1965 Helen accepted employment at Rutger’s University in New Brunswick. She efficiently managed a multi-faceted administrative assistant role at the Rutger’s University Commons from 1965 until 1991 when she retired. Helen lived in Somerset, NJ with her parents until she married, and then briefly in Highland Park and Somerville. In 1950, she and her husband bought a house in Edison. Helen remained in Edison until 2021 when she moved to Cardinal Village in Sewell, NJ to be closer to her daughter, Diane, and in an independent living retirement community.

Helen was a very lovely, sweet, hard working, and happy woman, whose primary focus was family, friends, and helping others. She preferred to work behind the scenes and not take center stage or seek credit. She loved animals, especially her dogs and cats, and bird watching. Her favorite past times were gardening, sewing, and she was an avid reader. Helen enjoyed baking, cooking and entertaining family and friends. She had a keen, curious and open mind, a very loving heart, and an abundance of patience and grace. She was a wonderful mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend and neighbor. She had a very deep faith in God and the power of prayer. She was a strong woman who accepted and lived her life on life’s terms. Helen saw life’s problems as spiritual opportunities. She brought much love, light and kindness into this world. She was also a Stage 3 Uterine cancer survivor of 48 years.

Helen was predeceased by her parents, siblings, maternal and paternal aunts, uncles and cousins, her husband Edward, and her nieces Joy (Fantelli) Rothlin, and Patrica (Corrigan) Lemon; nephews William D. Collins, Jr. and Michael Corrigan. She is survived by her daughter, Diane Palmer; and several nieces and nephews.

Family and friends are invited to attend her viewing Friday, June 14th, from 10:30 -11:30 am, at St Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church, 362 Ganttown Rd., Washington Twp. Mass of Christian Burial 11:45 am. Entombment St Peter’s Cemetery (Mausoleum), New Brunswick, NJ.

In Lieu of flowers, if you so choose, please make a donation in Helen’s name to the charity of your choice.

“A Life Well Lived Is Worth Remembering”