Helen Linda Deering Mashburn, 78, of Fort Lee, NJ, was promoted to her heavenly home on Sunday, February 9, 2020.
Born December 20, 1941, in Beckley, WV, she was the oldest of 8 children of the late Carrie Mae Jones Deering and James Roland Deering, Jr. Helen attended Morton Reeves Elementary and Grade School. She graduated from Stratton High School in 1960 which is now known as one of the historic Black schools in Raleigh County. Upon graduation, she went to live with her late aunt, Helen Rynecki, to begin her working life in New York City. She was the pioneer for two of her other sisters to join her.
She was united in marriage on August 23, 1969 to Robert Mashburn. From this union was born her only child, Jamal L Mashburn.
Helen held several positions for the New York City Housing Authority, and was known best for her book keeping skills from which she retired.
She was baptized at an early age and attended St Luke Apostolic church faithfully in Beckley, WV. The church home and family is Bethany Baptist Church in Harlem, NY where she has enjoyed friendship and fellowship.
Helen served as a volunteer for the Henry Brooks Senior Housing Development. She thoroughly enjoyed working with the tenants and helping to solve “their” problems. She was an active participant in her union activities including exercise and dancing. She enjoyed her involvement in the Jamal Mashburn Scholarship at the University of Kentucky and the NBA Mothers Association. She was a huge fan of amusement parks, traveling to different parts of the world, cruises and her high school class reunions. Most of all, she was loved and lived her life to its fullest. Constantly the life of the party, always inclusive and never met a stranger.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two brothers, James Thomas Deering, Roland Lee Deering and a stillborn brother; grandparents Chester and Ola Mae Glass Jones, and James and Sallie Deering; aunts Helen Rynecki, Josephine Wilburn, Nannie Belle Jones, Wilma Hughes and Nellie Mae Jones; uncles Elisha Chester “EC” Jones and Sterling Hughes.
Others left to cherish her memories is her son, Jamal Mashburn and her grandchildren Taylor and Jamal Jr. Her longtime loving companion, Dave Minton; sisters Marion Wilma McClary, Ola Yvonne Hamilton, Florine Diane Williams (Lee); sister-in-law Pamela Deering; brother Douglas Nathan Deering and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family and friends.
A visitation for Helen will be held on Thursday, February 13, 2020, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Bethany Baptist Church (303 West 153rd Street, New York, NY 10039). A funeral service will follow the visitation. Cremation will be private.
Her Journey’s Just Begun!
Don’t think of her as gone away;
Her journey’s just begun
Life holds so many facets;
This earth is only one!
Just think of her as resting
From the sorrows and the tears,
In a place of warmth and comfort
Where there are no days or years.
Just think how she must be wishing
that we could know today
that nothing but our sadness
can really pass away!
Just think of her as living
In the hearts of those she touched,
For nothing loved is ever lost
And she was loved so much!
~Ellen Brenneman