Helen A. Butenas, 97, of Meriden, died Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014, at Miller Memorial Community in Meriden. She was the beloved wife of the late Carl Butenas M.D. Helen was born in Worcester, MA. on August 10, 1917, the daughter of Lithuanian immigrant parents Louis Volungis and Agnes (Gulcius) Volungis. When the Great Depression hit in 1929, the Volungis parents found jobs in Boston, and the family moved. After 2 years there, Louis Volungis secured a loan and bought a house in Worcester, and the family returned to their pre-Depression life. Louis ran a general store/meat market on the 1st floor, and the family lived upstairs. Helen graduated from Commerce High School in 1935, then from the nursing program at Worcester City Hospital, as an R.N., in 1938. From 1938-1939, Helen worked as a nurse at Worcester State Mental Hospital. Eager for qualification to teach science classes to nurses, Helen moved to Pittsburgh, PA. and did nursing work in exchange for half-tuition fees at Univ. of Pittsburgh. After a year of classes there, she transferred to Boston University, and earned a B.S. degree in Nursing Education in 1942. From 1942-1947, Helen worked as a science instructor at Worcester Hahnemann Hospital School of Nursing. From 1947-1949, she was Assistant Director, then Director of Nurses, at their nursing school. Helen Volungis married Carl Butenas in 1948, after he returned home to MA after serving in the U.S. Navy during WWII. They moved to Rochester N.Y., where Carl went to medical school and Helen worked as a private nurse. Moving permanently to Meriden in 1955,Helen finished her career there. She worked for the Meriden Health Dept. as a school nurse in 1968, then as Psychological Coordinator for school students from 1970-1980. Helen is survived by her children, Louise Bercaw and her husband Woodson, of Colorado; and her son John and his wife Barbara, of Virginia; and her son Carl and his wife Emma, of Michigan; five grandchildren: Galen, Leigh, Jesse, Daniel, and David, and his wife Isabel; and one great grandson Julian. She was predeceased by her brother Louis Volungis. Helen’s family would like to thank Franciscan Home Care and Hospice Care, and the staff at Miller Memorial Community for their competent and compassionate care given to Helen during her years there. Her family welcomes relatives and friends to attend the memorial service at the church where Helen was a parishoner for many years: St. Joseph Church, 22 Goodwill Ave., Meriden, on Sunday Nov. 9 at 1:30 pm. Private burial will be at Gethsemane Cemetary in Athol, MA. Arrangements are under the direction of the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 East Main Street, Meriden, CT 06450.
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Helen Butenas
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