Helen L. Johnson passed away quietly at her home in Richmond Hill, Georgia on March 21, 2018 at the age of 83.

Born in Laceyville, Pennsylvania, she was christened Helena Eve Louise Cilwik.  Helen moved to New Jersey at a young age and met her husband Bernie when he poked her in the eye with his elbow on a school bus. Married at 16 in May of 1952 with an elopement over the border, Helen had their first daughter a year and a half later, with 2 others arriving over the following 5 years. In her 30's, while they lived in Millstone, New Jersey, she raised her family, perfected her famous potato salad recipe, led her daughters' Girl Scouts Troop, planned many camping trips, vacations and outings, worked as a Nurse's Aide in a local nursing home, earned her GED and, not stopping there, went on to become first an LPN, then an RN with an Associate's Degree in 1976.  By the early 80's the kids had all left the nest and Helen and Bernie moved to Red Bank, New Jersey, where Helen practiced her profession as a labor and delivery nurse at Riverview Hospital, assisting in bringing many bouncing bundles of joy into the world.  By the early 90's, ready to retire and having enough of the Jersey snow (and ridiculous property taxes), Helen and Bernie fled south to Richmond Hill, Georgia where they have lived happily-ever-after.

Helen knew and loved God and Jesus, her family, collecting and trying new recipes, fishing, being on the river, and anything furry with 4 legs.

She is survived by her husband of 66 years: Bernard Frederick, their three daughters and their husbands: Bernadette Jean and Richard Jamele, Deborah Ann and Frederick Barwise, Cheryl  Lynn Johnson and her significant other, Ray Arthur; four grandchildren and their spouses: Pamela Grace and Alex Gardinsky, Brett Richard and Pamela Jamele, Erin Corrine and Scott Zaborowski, Jessica Louise and Joseph Bolger; four great-grandchildren: Chase Zaborowski, Arianna Zaborowski, Tristan Jamele and Max Gardinsky, with the birth of a fifth (a girl) imminent; and by one very loved black cat, Alex.

A Celebration of her Life will be held on Wednesday, May 30 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Elizabeth of Hungary's Episcopal Church, 16491 GA-144, Richmond Hill, Georgia.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to either Best Friends Animal Society,  5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, Utah 84741-5000 ( https://bestfriends.org/donate ) or Hospice Savannah, 1352 Eisenhower Drive , Savannah, GA 31406

( http://www.hospicesavannah.org/Give/ ).