Helen Elizabeth (McCauley) Valenta passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus on January 27, 2022 at the age of 103 and nine months. She died surrounded by love at her residence, Bay Vista Commons, in Bremerton, Washington.

Helen was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 20, 1918 to Alexander McCauley and Elizabeth Rose (O’Neil) McCauley. She was the second of three sisters. Her older sister was Margie and her younger sister was Kathleen. She endured many hardships as a child, including a terrible accident at age 7 in which she was run over by a large truck. It took her a year to recover from this. Then at age 9, her father died because of a kidney injury. Her mother worked as a midwife, cleaning the apartment building where they lived, and cleaning a Catholic school. Because of this, Helen was able to attend the Catholic school.

At age 18, Helen got a job at a pencil factory to help support the family. Then at age 22, she met Frank Valenta at Rockaway Beach, New York. They began dating and Frank was drafted into the Army in 1941. They kept in touch by writing letters. In November of 1943, while on furlough, Frank asked for her hand in marriage, and they were married three days later on November 10, 1943 in Brooklyn, New York.

During the war, while Frank was stationed in Washington state, Helen worked at Western Electric in the chemistry room. At night she worked at a movie theater selling candy. She had all the candy she wanted to eat, but of course she had to pay for it!

Frank and Helen had two sons: Frank Thomas Valenta and Christopher Gary Valenta. Both were born on December 14-–Frank in 1944 and Christopher in 1949. Helen loved being a mother and housewife.

After the boys were older, she worked as a cashier at Bolt’s cafeteria at the Boeing company. and later as a materials clerk and on the wiring assembly line at Boeing. Later she and her husband Frank lived in Twanoh Falls in Belfair, Washington. They owned and operated a restaurant in the Manette area of Bremerton called Dick‘s Café. When Frank and Helen moved to Cle Elum, Washington, she volunteered at the telephone museum. They attended Cle Elum Alliance Church and helped to construct the church building there.

Helen and Debbie at Chico Alliance Church

In September 2008, Helen’s husband Frank needed assisted living, so they moved to Silverdale, Washington to live at Crista Shores. She began attending Chico Alliance Church and made many friends there. During this time, Helen loved reading novels and devotional books.

All of her life, Helen was a very active person. She loved dancing, swimming, walking, entertaining people in her home, cooking, shopping, going to garage sales, going on cruises,  spending time with friends and family, and telling stories.. She loved eating shrimp whenever possible!

Helen is survived by: her two sons: Frank (Colleen) and Chris (Debbie); four grandchildren: Brad Valenta (Michelle), Benjamin Valenta (Hannah), Nichole Sanchez, and Rebekah Valenta; and three great-grandchildren: Ariana, Aden, and Bella.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Bay Vista Commons and Crista Shores for their professional and loving care of Helen in her later years. We would also like to thank Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care for their support in our time of need.