Helen Louise Markey, 89, died on Monday, January 10, 2011 at Elmwood Assisted Living at the Shawhan in
Tiffin.
She was born on Sept. 1, 1921, in Round Bottom, W.Va., to James P. and Ruth E. Matthews. She was a
graduate of Glendale High School, St. Joseph’s School of Nursing in Parkersburg, W. Va., and Indiana
University.
Mrs. Markey enlisted in the Army at the start of World War II and served for two years as a nurse in
England. She was in a field hospital on the English Channel during the D-Day invasion and in London bomb
shelters during the Nazi blitz.
She married Stephen R. Markey while at Fort Story in 1943, and after serving for two years during the war
they graduated from Indiana University and moved to Chicago, where Mrs. Markey worked as a night nurse
at Cook County Hospital while her husband completed medical school at Loyola.
They moved to Fostoria in 1953 where Dr. Markey established a family practice. He preceded his wife in
death in 1996. She was also preceded in death by her beloved brother, James P. Matthews Jr. in 2010.
Mrs. Markey is survived by all 14 of their children: Camille (Rich) Crawford, Maureen (Peter Rose)
Markey, Patrick Markey, Melissa (Garry) Whitmer, Anne Risner, Kathy Markey, Matthew (Linda) Markey, Sean
(Connie) Markey, Seamas (Trish) Markey, Siobhan Markey, Colleen (Steve) Markey-Rowe, Brian (Chris)
Markey, Shannon Markey, and Amy (Bob) Crawford. She is also survived by 25 grandchildren, 19
great-grandchildren, a brother Leo Matthews, and a sister Vonnie Matthews.
Mrs. Markey devoted her life to raising her 14 children, seeing that they received a Catholic education,
and to a variety of charitable causes. For more than a half century she sent medicine and medical
supplies overseas to Catholic mission hospitals in New Guinea and Africa in cooperation with the Sisters
of Notre Dame; books and school supplies to a Catholic school in Jordan; school supplies and clothing to
American Indian schools in the U.S., medicine and medical supplies to the Tutwiler Clinic; clothing,
household goods and toys to the migrant camps in Northwest Ohio; and countless deliveries of food,
furniture, clothing, toys, gifts and household items to families in need in the Fostoria area. She also
supported the Sharing Kitchen in Fostoria and the St. Vincent DePaul Society.
Mrs. Markey specifically requested that no money be spent on flowers and instead any donation be made to
her favorite charities: Tutwiler Christian Clinic, Welcome Back Veterans, or Ohio Right to Life.
Tutwiler Clinic (tutwilerclinic.org), 205 Alma Street, Tutwiler, MS 38963-0462; WelcomeBackVeterans.org;
Ohio Right to Life (Ohiolife.org) 665 East Dublin-Granville Road, Suite 200, Columbus, Ohio, 43229.
Per her wishes, there will be no visitation. A memorial Mass was held Friday.
Mrs. Markey will be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date, with
her family in attendance.
Please Note: Online condolences may be made to the family at hffh.net.
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