Nancy Helle

A spark of joy left the world when Nancy Jane Schuleen Helle, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and dear friend to many, passed away on January 25, 2025. Surrounded by the love of her family, she died peacefully in her sleep, leaving a legacy of friendship, music, and caring. An eternal optimist, Nancy was known for her love of pink and red, high fashion, Broadway and Cole Porter music, and a clever turn of phrase.

Nancy Helle

Born in 1933, in West Chester, PA, Nancy was the cherished daughter of Ernest “Red” Schuleen and Beulah “Ruth” Jones, and a devoted human to her wire-haired terrier Snips, whom she adored. Nancy grew up along the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County, PA, first in Holtwood, where she attended the two room schoolhouse built especially for employees of the Holtwood Dam where her father worked, then later in Safe Harbor, PA, where her father served as General Manager of the Safe Harbor Dam. She attended Millersville High School, transferring to and graduating from Westtown School in West Chester, PA. Piano and tap dance lessons filled her early years, but her love of music was fully cemented when her parents began the family’s annual summer forays into Manhattan to take in the shows of Broadway, starting with “Oklahoma!” in 1943.

In 1951 Nancy headed off to Pembroke College (which later merged with Brown University), where she majored in Art History and minored in Psychology. There she made amazing friendships that lasted a lifetime and took classes at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) where she cultivated her love of art and fashion sketching skills. She also met the love of her life and future husband, Herb Helle, at a Zeta Psi fraternity party where she was playing the piano by ear and taking requests. Upon graduation in 1955, Nancy headed to New York City, parlaying her summer retail work in women’s fashion at Watt & Shand, Lancaster, PA, along with her tenure on the Seventeen Magazine Reader’s Panel, into a position in the Bonwit Teller Management Training Program. Landing in the Publicity Department at Bonwit’s, she immersed herself in promoting fashion and the latest styles, igniting a passion that would inspire a life-long career in public relations and writing.

From Bonwit’s, Nancy followed her beloved boss, Lotte Thompson, to Tiffany’s where she enthusiastically expanded her publicity portfolio to include china and fine jewelry. While boyfriend Herb was in the Army at White Sands Missile Range, in New Mexico, life as a single woman on the Upper East Side was lots of fun. From sharing an apartment with two besties from Pembroke (and a closet full of the latest fashions), enjoying nights at the Stork Club, and having Cliff Robertson (who was dating her roommate Diane) to dinner at their coffee table, the Big Apple stole her heart.

With Herb back from the Army, the two wedded and settled into a New York City lifestyle. When their first child Karen arrived, they headed to the New Jersey suburbs, living first in Bernardsville and then Morristown where son Chris was born. About the same time, a work transfer with IBM landed the family happily in New Canaan, CT. There, Nancy set down deep roots in the town she loved and called home for more than 60 years.

Making lasting friendships through the Junior League of Stamford Norwalk, the New Canaan Field Club, the Country Club of New Canaan, the First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan, and Staying Put – to name a few – Nancy served her community well.  She spent many years working at the Whitney Shop, both as sales staff and doing their PR. As she raised her children, she built a robust portfolio of public relations clients: Silvermine Guild of Artists, Wilson Avenue Loft Artists (WALA) along with many other individual artists seeking her help, Waveny Care Center, Silver Hill, Channel 79, Sturbridge Publick House, System One Realty and numerous architects (including Dick Bergman) and realtors seeking a spotlight on specialty properties. Nancy was a contributing writer for Greenwich and New Canaan-Darien Magazines, and Art New England and she received numerous CT Press Club awards for her work, including “Best PR Campaign” twice. She was also renowned as a lyricist, rewriting the lyrics of well-known tunes for events at the Whitney Shop, CCNC, and numerous other occasions celebrating friends and family.

A multi-talented writer, Nancy also covered the travel scene, reporting on many tony destinations, with her work appearing in the New York Times, New Canaan Advertiser, Stamford Advocate, Hartford Courant, CT Sunday Post Travel Section, and VENU Magazine. Always up for an adventure, her assignments took her to Vermont and Nantucket, the 1982 Lake Placid Olympics, a transatlantic crossing on the QE2, London, Scotland, Salzburg, and beyond. Her writing prowess, coupled with her husband’s photography skills, meant every trip had possibilities for press coverage. However a lack of assignment did not prevent a trip from happening. Her love of culture and people took Nancy and Herb to Europe, Russia, China, South Africa, across the United States and Canada, and of course to Florida for their legendary “Mooch March” which allowed visits to snowbird friends each March.

In her role as “Nandy”, Nancy loved doting on her grandchildren and eagerly agreed to multi-day babysitting assignments so one or more parents could be out of town on business or pleasure. There is little doubt that quality time with her grandchildren also sparked the love of music that her two granddaughters exude and have further cultivated through their college studies, with one teaching elementary school music and both performing publicly.

Nancy was a member of The Junior League of Stamford/Norwalk,  the New Canaan Alliance of Business Professionals, The First Presbyterian Church, The Country Club of New Canaan, Staying Put, and the Brown Alumni Club of Fairfield County.

She is predeceased by her loving husband of 64 years, Herb, her parents Red and Ruth Schuleen, her prematurely-born baby brother, and many beloved aunts, uncles and friends. She is survived by her daughter, Karen Helle Nemiah (husband David), of South Glastonbury, CT and son, Christopher Helle (wife Heather) of Ardmore, PA and her grandchildren Matt Nemiah (fiancé Melisa) of Santa Ana, CA, Hannah Nemiah of South Glastonbury, CT, Jack Helle and Sydney Helle of Boston, MA, and many friends.

To properly celebrate the joy that Nancy spread, you can wrap yourself in pink and/or red, belt out a Broadway tune, do a little soft-shoe, tickle the ivories, stop to pet a dog (or cat), or call a family member or friend and say “I love you.” In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Silvermine Guild of Artists: https://www.silvermineart.org/support/, or Staying Put: https://stayingputnc.org/.

A celebration of Nancy’s life will be held Saturday, April 26 at 2pm at the First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan, 178 Oenoke Ridge Road.  All are encouraged to wear pink or red in her honor.