Obituary of Helen L. Cunniff

Helen Lafferty Cunniff of North Plainfield, died Sunday at Hunterdon Medical Center. Funeral services will begin at 9:00am on Friday, March 1, 2013 at Higgins Home for Funerals, 752 Mountain Blvd.,Watchung, followed by 10:00 mass at St. Joseph's Church in North Plainfield. Visitation will be from 4:00-8:00pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013 at the funeral home. Helen was born in Plainfield on February 19, 1919. She attended St. Mary's Grammar School and graduated from St. Mary's Commercial High School. She went on to have a career at the N.J. Bell Telephone Company. Helen was married to Leo J. Cunniff, Sr., whom she met while holding the door as he struggled to exit a bakery carrying a large tray of pastries. They were married for 44 years until his death in 1986. Helen believed the secrets to a happy marriage were to have fun together, let go of the past, and start fresh everyday. She loved reading on the deck in Long Beach Island, playing the slots in Atlantic City, and the Mets. Central to her life were her four children: Leo Cunniff (Christine), Marianne Mazzagetti (Dominick), Helene Power (Patrick), and the late Teresa Speck Brown (Gary). When asked once to name her favorite hobby, Helen replied: "kids." A grandmother to 11 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren, "Nannie" was spirited and fully alive. She was never too busy for a tea party, to erect a fort out of bedsheets, or for a rousing round of the hokey pokey. She leaves a legacy of faith, resilience, and commitment to family. With her feet firmly grounded in faith and gratitude, Nannie managed to find the silver lining amidst heartache. She saw each day as a gift; a chance to "forgive, start over, and do your best." While her passing leaves a void in the lives of many, Helen would want the grieving to recall the words to her favorite song, "When Irish Eyes are Smiling": For the springtime of life is the sweetest of all With ne'er a pain or regret While the springtime is ours, through all of life's hours Let us smile each chance we get.