Helen Mae Elliott's Obituary
Helen Mae Tomaski Elliott, aged 90, passed away on December 14, 2018, at the Butterfield Village medical facility. She was born on August 21, 1928, in Chicago, Illinois to John and Felicia Tomaski.
Helen is survived by her husband of 66 years, Colonel John Elliott, USAF Ret., daughters, Linda (Clark), Lydia (McAllister), and son, Floyd, grandchildren, Christina and Edward, and great-grandson, Hayden.
Helen received her B.A. in music from DePaul University and her M.A. in education from Ohio University. While at Ohio University, she met and married John in 1952.
Helen accompanied John in military life in the US Airforce with assignments in Texas, Mississippi, New Mexico, Okinawa (Japan) during the Korean War, and Colorado. Then with three small children, she joined John at the Toul- Rosières air base, France in 1958. After three years in France, she and her family spent a year in Weisbaden, Germany. Upon return from Europe, the family moved to Chicago and then spent time at military facilities in Fort Walton Beach, FL, Norfolk, VA, Salt Lake City, UT, and at the Pentagon and the Atomic Energy Commission in Washington, D.C.
While in France, Helen served as President of Toul-Rosières’ Officers Wives’ Club and traveled with the club to East Berlin, an adventure that the officer-husbands were not allowed to share. During her time in France and Germany, she became actively involved with formal entertaining; and learned various complicated cooking styles, including the ornate carving of fruits and vegetables into flowers and other intricate designs.
Helen was a passionate and accomplished concert violinist. She was particularly proud of having performed with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra under the direction of Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood, Massachusetts.
While in Virginia, Helen used her education and experience as a violinist to become an orchestra teacher at the City of Alexandria’s schools. She taught and mentored numerous students, both in and out of the classroom, often at her own expense. She bought season tickets to the National Symphony Orchestra for her students to enjoy and sheet music for her students when the budget ran dry. She also organized a fundraiser every year for the Orchestra and would reward her students for meeting their goals by taking them to a local theme park. This time of teaching became some of her fondest memories. Her last assignment was at T. C. Williams High School.
In 2006, Helen and John moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas to be near their daughter, Lydia and their then son-in-law, Jeff, a former Walmart executive.
Private family services.
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