Helen E. (Skurla) Lewis, 96, of North Coventry
Helen E. (Skurla) Lewis of North Coventry Twp. died peacefully of natural causes on April 5, 2017 at Coventry Manor. She was 96 years old.
Beloved wife for 39 years of the late David O. Lewis Sr., who died in 1983, Helen is survived by a brother John Skurla of Anchorage, Alaska and by three children, Diana M. Lewis O’Hare and her husband James of Richmond Hill, NY; David O. Lewis Jr. and his wife Bridget of N. Coventry Twp.; Teresa Ann Lewis Gerasimowicz and her husband George of Pottstown. She was a loving and devoted grandmother to eight grandchildren: Patrick O’Hare (deceased) and Matthew O’Hare of Richmond Hill, NY and Michael O’Hare of Phila; Timothy and Mark Lewis of North Coventry Twp. and Erica Lewis of Boston; Nicholas Gerasimowicz of bel Air, MD, and Katherine Ilyin of Hewitt, NJ. She is also survived by many cousins, nieces and nephews.
Born Helen Eleanopr Skurla on October 30, 1920 in Bzany, Czechoslovakia, to the late Michael and Mary (Fetchko) Skurla, she first came to America in 1929. The family first settled in Larksville, PA and resided in Wilkes-Barre region for a number of years. For several years they relocated to Ambridge, in western PA. In the late 1930’s the family returned to the Wilkes-Barre region.
Helen is a graduate of Ambridge High School.
Upon reaching her twenty-first birthday in 1941 Helen enrolled in flight training at the FortyFort, PA, Airport, earning her students flying license. In 1942 she earned her Airman’s license from the Civil Aeronautics Board. As she was one quarter inch too short, she was unable to enroll in the Women Air Force Service Pilot program in WW II.
Helen met David O. Lewis Sr. at Kirby Park in Kingston, PA and they were wed on May 12, 1944 in Battle Creek, Michigan, when Mr. Lewis was in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Custer, Michigan before he was deployed to Europe.
During the Second World War, Ms. Lewis moved to Pottstown, and worked at the Jacobs Aircraft Engine Co. inspecting Pratt & Whitney engines for the war effort and later worked at the Doehler-Jarvis Corp. Post-War she worked as a seamstress at Lincoln Underwear and the Rosemont Dress Co. and as a waitress at Bause’s Drug Store and Conway’s Restaurant, while raising her three children.
A deeply religious person, Helen Lewis was an active member of St. John’s Byzantine Catholic Church from her earliest days in Pottstown until her death. She looked forward to attending annual retreats at Mount St. Macrina in Uniontown, PA.
In addition to her husband, she was pre-deceased by her parents; her brother Michael Skurla; sisters Mary Behum, Anna Zavatsky and Elizabeth Beck, and grandson Patrick O’Hare.
A viewing will be held Tuesday evening April 11th from 6 to 7:30 pm and from 9 to 10 am Wednesday April 12th at the Warker-Troutman Funeral Home 726 High St. Pottstown. A Funeral Service will follow Wednesday at 10:30 am in St. John’s Byzantine Catholic Church 301 Cherry St. Pottstown. Burial will be in St. John’s Cemetery Pottstown.