Obituary of Helene Lofrese

Helene Lofrese of Middletown, NY passed away April 2, 2023, in Columbia Presbyterian Hospital from complications of an illness. She passed peacefully with her loving family by her side. She was 71. The daughter of the late Anton and Lucia Cech, Helene was born on May 15, 1951 in Hallein, Austria. She immigrated to the US at a young age with her parents and two sisters. Part of a close-knit family, they lived alongside relatives in Brooklyn, NY before moving to Orange County, NY. She graduated from Washingtonville High School and went on to become a bookkeeper in New York City. Family always came first for Helene. After meeting her husband, they eventually moved to Middletown, NY to raise their two sons and start a business of their own. You were likely to find Helene cheering on her two boys at sporting events and helping at school functions. Later in life, she cherished the time spent with her grandchildren and being their 'Oma'. Helene enjoyed taking courses at OCCC for photography, attending exercise classes at the YMCA, and cooking meals from scratch - carrying on the traditions of her mother and grandmother. Her meatballs were the best, a treat we will all miss, especially her grandson. She loved taking in the sun at the beach with her husband, dancing with her family at parties, and summer nights on the back porch with her kids and husband. Helene was incredibly proud of the life and family that she built with her husband. She will be greatly missed by her loving husband of 49 years Dan, son Dan Jr and his wife Camellia, son Chris and his wife Ariana, grandchildren Colden, Bellaroya and Clara, her father-in-law, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. Helene was predeceased by her mother, father, and two sisters, Brigitte and Gertrude. We will lovingly remember a fun, strong, resilient, and incredibly loyal person during visitation hours on Wednesday April 12, 2023, from 4-7 P.M. at the Ralston-Lippincott-Hasbrouck-Ingrassia Funeral Home, Inc., 72 West Main Street Middletown, N.Y. Funeral Services will be held on Thursday April 13, 2023, starting at 11 A.M. at the Funeral Home. Burial will follow in the Hillside Cemetery, Middletown, N.Y. In lieu of flowers, Memorial contributions may be made to: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Given the importance of family to Helene, she would be honored to have donations made in her name to support the families in need of treatment at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Arrangements by Ralston-Lippincott-Hasbrouck-Ingrassia Funeral Home, Inc. 845-343-6023 or www.ocfuneralhomes.com