Helen Marie McCreagh was born in San Francisco, California on May 19, 1924, to Harold and Margaret Jones.
She passed away at her home on October 13, 2023. She was 99 years old. Helen grew up in San Carlos, California with her twin sister, Gail, and two brothers, John “Jack” and Harold. She loved sharing happy memories of her childhood, which included family vacations to Ben Lomond and the Santa Cruz mountains, visiting her favorite aunts at their dinner house in San Francisco, or just playing jacks on the front porch with her sister, Gail. Helen graduated from Sequoia High School in 1942.
On July 4, 1946, she married her high school sweetheart, John “Jack” McCreagh, after he returned home from serving during World War II. Helen raised their children and worked for the San Mateo County courts before retiring and moving to Lake Tahoe in 1976, where Jack built their dream home.
Helen hosted many wonderful family holidays over the years. She loved reminiscing about Tahoe Christmases shared with grandchildren by the fire, and she never forgot to make her special phone call to every grandchild to sing “Happy Birthday.” She adored animals, including her yellow lab, Annie, her golden retriever, Mary Margaret, and Molly, who showed up one day and never left.
She loved people and volunteered many hours at Barton Memorial Hospital Auxiliary. Her passion in life was spending time with her family. Helen is survived by four of her five children, Kathy (Dennis) Kennedy, Sandy Marcell, Patrick McCreagh and Colleen McCreagh; her grandchildren Kimberly, Karen, John and Nicole; her great-grandchildren, Ethan, Emily, Benjamin, Rielly, Mason, Mia, Ella and Delaney, and many loving nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack, in 2009. A celebration of life is planned for the family at a later date.