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Helen Hart-Valentine Messero, longtime resident of Guilford and recently of Buckley, Washington, passed away peacefully at home on Sept. 7, at age 98, surrounded by loving family. She was born in New York City, daughter of the late Edna Doerr and Arthur Hart. She was the loving mother of daughter Jayne Valentine Miller and her husband James Moore of Guilford and son Robert F. Valentine and his wife Amber of Buckley, Washington.

She was predeceased by her first husband Francis Valentine and second husband Louis Messero and predeceased by her brother Arthur Hart and his wife Madeline and sister Edna “Susie” Collier and her husband John.

She is also survived by three grandchildren, Robert Valentine of Redmond, Washington and his wife Dana, James Valentine of Madison and his wife Kaitlyn, and Amy Shepard and her husband Jesse of Yacolt, Washington and eight great-grandchildren, Olivia, Harrison, Robert, Vinny, Anthony, Kristine, Landen, and Zoey. She leaves behind many nieces and nephews and friends, all of whom she held dear to her heart, and many who have considered her their “second Mom.”

In her early life in New York City, Helen worked in several high fashion clothing stores and also did some modeling for them. She also worked at an engineering firm in New York City where they were developing the earliest televisions. She often spoke of the engineers huddled around a small screen and celebrating excitedly when small wiggly lines appeared on the screen—the precursor to our modern TVs. Later in life after her children were grown, she worked in the accounting offices of Bradlees for many years until her retirement.

In recent years, on any Tuesday and Friday you would find Helen at her much-loved aerobics class led by Barbara Corso at the Guilford Community Center, and every Wednesday at the ballroom dancing class. Helen was well into her 90s while participating in these classes. To say Helen loved to dance is an understatement—a plaque hung on her refrigerator that said, “I’d Rather Be Dancing” and that was her motto to any adversity that came her way.

Helen’s whole life was her family. She loved every family birthday celebration, weddings, and gathering of any sort, but her biggest contribution was her ease with people. She was never heard to say a bad word about anyone, she always found the good in everyone. She had a huge caring heart and loved to make people laugh and was always helping others in any way she could.

Arrangements were in the care of the Weeks Funeral Home in Buckley, Washington. A memorial service will be held on Friday, Oct. 29 at 10 a.m. at St George Church, 33 Whitfield Street, Guilford.