Helen Harding

We are happy and sad to announce that our mother, Helen (Levy) Harding, finally RSVP’d to the big party in the sky the morning of February 15, 2024. With the exception of Aunt Mary (Uncle Jerry’s wife), all of her siblings, in-laws, and of course her mom and dad, have all been partying for quite some time. There are also some nieces, nephews and friends that will be so happy to see her. 

Helen was born on April 15, 1931 to Isidore and Hannah Levy, the proprietors of Levy’s Delicatessen on Baltimore Avenue in West Philly. She was the youngest of 4, with older brothers Jerome and Stanley and older sister Beatrice. A 194? graduate of Bartram High School in Philadelphia, she was a member of the badminton team. After high school, she went to work for Dunne and Bradstreet in Philadelphia with a typing speed of 100+ words per minute. Somewhere in the late 1950’s-early 1960’s, Helen moved out to the suburbs of Delaware County and settled in Broomall, PA. She went to work for Joe Frame Construction and met Big Ed Harding, who would become her husband and our dad. Ironically, they grew up around the corner from each other, although he was 9 years older than her and did not really take much notice of her as she played with his younger sisters on the sidewalk. That was until… as the story was told to us one day… she was at a pool party years later and while enjoying the sun and water, out from the sliding glass doors walked a big man with big biceps in a pair of swim trunks. While she took detailed notice of his build, he too took notice of her in a bikini. They were reintroduced, and finally went on a first date which he ended with “I’m going to marry you.” Helen waved her hand as if she had the vapors, saying “Oh Ed, don’t rush me!” (insert batting eyelashes here). About 3 weeks later, they were engaged. Although she really wanted a color TV, the ladies in the office cajoled her into accepting the beautiful diamond ring he had selected for her, telling her she could always get a TV later but this was the chance to grab that rock! About 6 months later, they were married on Friday September 30, 1966 and remained that way until our dad passed away on September 10, 2009.

In 1969, they moved to Westtown, PA as they started a family. During those years, Helen was a stay-at-home mom raising her son and beautiful daughter. She also cleaned houses for a while once us kids were old enough to let ourselves into the house after school. In 1986, she took a job as the cafeteria manager at Bishop Shanahan High School in West Chester, PA and retired from there around 1990. After that, she took a job on the tip staff at the Chester County Courthouse in West Chester, PA and worked there up until about 6 months before she took off for greener pastures. All through the years, Helen was an avid bowler, belonging to leagues with and without our dad. In fact, most days of the week at least one of them was at bowling. She used to tell us kids that Thursday was really the only day she could get to the ER if we were ever in an accident so be careful out there! She honed her photography skills the summer of 1990 when she and our dad took a trip across country, all the way to California and back. The scenery was amazing and never has the interior and dashboard of a 1988 Caprice Classic been documented on such an adventure as that! For years she was an active member of SS. Simon and Jude Church in Westtown, PA and loved working at the annual Christmas Bazaar, the Country Fair every spring and any other event that a nice Jewish girl could have a good time. Helen loved to travel and when our dad no longer wanted to go, she went on adventures with her friends and her brother Stanley… trips to Vegas, London, an Alaskan cruise.

In her 92 years on this earth, Helen loved and was loved by many. She loved a good party, a good laugh, and spending time with her family and friends. She was preceded in death by many and will be missed by many, especially the stockholders at QVC and Omaha Steaks, along with various manufacturers of flashlights, stepstools and magnifying glasses. She is sorely missed and survived by a few notables: Her son Edward ‘Hap’ Harding and his wife Christine and granddaughter Elise; her daughter Hannah-Rose (Pepe) and her husband Robert and granddaughter’s Sophia and Isabella; and her two very best friends for life, Kay (Eland) and Kathleen (Stephano).

In lieu of donations, do a random act of kindness in her memory. It won’t cost you a thing and just may impact someone in ways you can’t even imagine.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday March 9, 2024 from 12pm-5pm at the Hilton Garden Inn, 500 Cresson Blvd, Phoenixville, PA 19460. Stop by any time and stay for as long as you like. Hot food, cold drinks, and probably some pretty funny stories!