Mary Jane "Janey" Helble

Mary Jane "Janey" Helble, 73, of Sarver, PA (formerly New Brighton, PA), passed away peacefully Friday, February 21, 2025.

Mary Jane was born August 3, 1951, in New Brighton, PA the daughter of the late Chalmers and Mary Ann (Eckhardt) Helble. She is survived by five siblings: Susan (the late William) Cronin, Ruth Cattivera, Kathy (John) Orosz, Denis (Cheryle) Helble, and Doris Nadzam and numerous nieces and nephews. She is also preceded in death by two nieces and infant nephew: Laura Ann Cronin, Angela Cronin Chadwick, and Jeffrey Cronin.

After working at McGuire Memorial Home throughout her teenage years, Mary Jane moved to Hartford, CT, where she worked for Aetna Insurance for 20 years. In 1991, she returned to Beaver County where she lived with and was a wonderful companion to her mom for 27 years. While lovingly caring for her mom, Janey worked for Philips Production/ExxonMobil/XTO Energy for 25 years. Janey retired in 2016 to be home more with Mom. In 2018, after having finished her mission of caring for her mom, Janey moved to Sarver, PA to live with her sister Doris who has lovingly cared for her for the past 7 years.

Mary Jane was a woman of many talents. She had a deep love for music and dancing, especially country line dancing, and could find the beat in any song – even if the rest of us had two left feet.

She was also a master of the small joys in life: solving word search puzzles like a detective, bringing paint-by-number art to life with patience and precision, and creating beautiful crafts that she and Mom would proudly sell at craft shows (or, let’s be honest, keep half of because they were just too nice to part with).

Dementia may have tried to dim her light, but it never took away her spirit. She continued to bring joy, laughter, and the occasional sassy remark to those around her. Her family will forever cherish the memories of her sharp wit, boundless creativity, and the way she could make any gathering feel like a party.

Family and friends will be received Tuesday, February 25, 2025, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. in J &J Spratt Funeral Home, 1612 Third Ave, New Brighton.  Prayers will be held Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian burial at 10 a.m. in Our Lady of the Valley Parish, Holy Family Church.   Fr. Howard Campbell officiating.  A celebration of her life will take place at J&J Spratt Funeral Home in New Brighton, where we’ll share stories, play her favorite music, and maybe even do a little dancing in her honor – though none of us will do it quite as well as she did.

Interment will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery, New Brighton.

In lieu of flowers, you may choose to donate in her memory to the Alzheimer’s Association or take some time to dance to a song you love, lose yourself in a puzzle, start a craft project (even if you never finish it), and remember that life is meant to be lived with joy, creativity, and a little bit of rhythm.

Rest easy, Janey. We’ll miss you forever, but we know you’re already lining up the next dance.