Helen Ann Wickert, passed away Friday, October 6, 2017, in Bay Health Medical Center, Dover, Delaware.
Born Helen Ann Rutkowski, on October 17, 1931, she was raised in Maspeth, New York, the daughter of Stephen and Stella Rutkowski, with her older brother Edward.
After graduating Holy Cross HS in Flushing, New York, Mrs. Wickert embarked on a banking career that lasted over 50 years.
She met her husband, John Steven Wickert, in the summer of 1955, while vacationing in Wildwood, NJ.
After a three-year courtship, they were married September 27, 1958, in Holy Cross R.C. Church, followed by a reception at the Polish American National Hall, both in the Maspeth section of Queens, NY.
After a honeymoon in Niagara Falls, the Wickerts settled in the Forest Hills section of Queens, NY.
They moved to the Grymes Hill section of Staten Island in 1970, following the adoption of their son, John-Paul, from the Angel Guardian Home in Brooklyn, NY.
In 1985, Mrs. Wickert became Branch Manager for the Bank of New York at the NY Stock Exchange. She was recognized for her comprehensive knowledge and customer-oriented savvy. Mrs. Wickert retired in 1995, but was so well respected by the male dominated industry, she was asked to return to her job, until a suitable replacement could be hired, which took three years.
She enjoyed her tidy two-family brick home on Grymes Hill, where she lived with her husband until 2014, when they moved to State Street Assisted Living in Dover.
Mrs. Wickert lost her beloved husband of 56 years to lung cancer on January 6, 2015, shortly after moving to Delaware. In 2016 she lost her loving son-in-law, Karl “Teddy” Bovey, to a short bout with illness. Both deaths were very hard on her spirit.
She had a passion for traveling, deep sea fishing and reading and was a long-time parishioner of St. Teresa’s R.C. Church, Staten Island, N.Y.
She is survived by her loving son, John-Paul and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
A memorial will be held at 2:00pm on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at State Street Assisted Living, Dover, Delaware. The interment will be private.
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