Helen C. Fanning

Helen Crowley Fanning, age 90, formerly of Brown Road in Corning, NY died peacefully on Monday, October 20, 2014 at the Chemung County Nursing Facility in Elmira, NY.

Born in Ithaca, NY, she was the daughter of Alfred and Margaret (O'Connell) Crowley.

After graduating from Ithaca High School, she knew she wanted to dedicate her life to helping others, and she graduated from St. Joseph's Hospital School of Nursing in Elmira, as well as receiving a Bachelor's of Nursing degree from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.

She met Edward Fanning, and they were married a year later on November 11, 1950 in Immaculate Conception Church in Ithaca, NY. Helen was a Tompkins County Public Health nurse and a nursing instructor at Corning Community College for 18 years. During those years, she and Ed raised 4 children.

Helen loved travel, her beautiful flowers, her bridge club, skiing, reading (alone and with her grandchildren) and inviting her extended family over for a giant Thanksgiving feast.

She also volunteered for many Red Cross Blood Drives, and she was the "go-to" neighborhood nurse for the local kids.

Some of her most beloved times, however, were the summer days spent vacationing on Keuka Lake with her family, and her winters in Florida. She also spent many happy vacations travelling in Europe with her husband. Over the years they visited Ireland, England, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Austria.

She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Edward; two daughters, Eileen Fanning of Corning and Barbara (Jesse) Fanning-Dowdell of Syracuse; two sons, William (Mary Ann Niles) Fanning of Londonderry, NH and Robert (Suzanne) Fanning of Madison, WI; grandchildren, Keith, Brent, Gabrielle, Brendon, Walker, and Laurel Kate; sister, Margaret Crowley of Rochester, NY; several nieces and nephews. Helen was predeceased by her brothers, John and Robert Crowley.

A calling hour will be held at St. Mary's Church on State Street in Corning at 12:00pm for one hour prior to a Mass of Christian Burial at 1:00 PM on Saturday, October 25th. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery in Corning. Donations can be made to the Health Ministry of the Southern Tier, 300 Nasser Civic Center Plaza, Suite 230, Corning, NY 14830. www.thehmst.com.

Helen's family entrusted her care to Haughey Funeral Home, Inc.