Obituary of Helen Riccio

Mary "Helen" Riccio, age 94, of Stratford, beloved wife of the late John Riccio, passed away peacefully on July 5, 2020, at home, with her devoted daughter by her side.

Born on October 4, 1925 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, Helen was a daughter of the late Philip and Anastacia Hyreliew Sluzar. She came to Bridgeport, CT after high school to work at General Electric during WWII. She married John Riccio soon after and was his faithful wife for 56 years until his death in 2003.

Helen worked at Gemma's Supermarket in Bridgeport for 30 years, where she became an honorary member of the Cerino family. She dressed to the nines for every occasion and was a steady and loving presence at endless birthday parties, baseball games, holidays, and celebrations. Her famous potato pancakes and macaroni & cheese were a source of great pride for her, much to the delight of her grandkids and their cousins, who she treated as her own grandchildren. She had an indomitable spirit throughout her entire life, even in her final days. That spirit and her humor will be sorely missed by all who knew her.

Survivors include her loving daughter, Maureen Cerino, of Stratford; three cherished grandchildren, Tony Cerino and his wife Kim, Natalie Kovacic and her husband Joe, and Eric Cerino, and "adopted" grandchildren Abbey, Christian, and Chloe; five great-grandchildren, Luke, Joey, Tucker, Sierra, and Samantha; two sisters-in-law, Rita and Betty; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her son-in-law, Tony Cerino, and her dearly loved siblings, Joseph, Michael, Philip, Margaret, Natalie, Mary, and Anna.

Due to restrictions affecting us all concerning social gatherings, a funeral service and interment in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Trumbull will be held privately for her family.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, an organization Helen quietly supported throughout her life, at http://www.stjude.org or 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN  38105.