Helen D. Tingley

Helen D. Tingley

COUDERSPORT, PA---Helen D. Tingley, 99, of Coudersport, passed away Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at UPMC Cole, Coudersport, with her family around her. 

She was born August 13, 1925 at the family farm in Nopal, Texas, to Bruno and Christina Foegelle Dybowski. On September 9, 1945, in San Antonio, Texas, she married Clair M. Tingley, who passed away January 31, 2003. 

Helen was the sixth of eight children. She attended country schools near her home and was a standout athlete at school events, winning awards for her speed. When her brothers left to serve in the Civilian Conservation Corps and US Navy during World War II, she learned to drive and became the family driver, transporting her parents when they needed to travel the 12 miles into town. Her younger sister fondly remembered that she “had a lead foot”. As a young woman, she moved to Yorktown, Texas and then to San Antonio, where she was working as a waitress when she met Clair Tingley, who was serving as an MP with the US Army Air Corps. After their marriage, they moved north to be near Mr. Tingley’s family in Coudersport, and also lived briefly in Island Falls, Maine, before returning to Coudersport. 

Mrs. Tingley was employed at the former Abbott’s Dairy and the Market Basket, as well as working at the Coudersport Consistory during events. In 1969, the Tingleys purchased Rainbow Paradise Trout Farm near Coudersport, which they operated for nearly a decade before purchasing Old Hickory Lanes in Coudersport. After their retirement in the early 1980s, Mrs. Tingley served as a substitute TV lady at Charles Cole Memorial Hospital.

Helen was a second generation descendant of some of the first Polish settlers in America, who established Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Panna Maria, Texas, the first Polish Catholic Church and the first permanent Polish settlement in the United States. She attended St. Eulalia Catholic Church in Coudersport, and was a former member of the Catholic Daughters, Court Doyle Chapter. She was a devout Catholic, faithfully attending weekly Mass and for many years was present at daily morning Mass. 

She had a special friendship with Fr. James Campbell, who in 2014 selected her as one of the parishioners to be recognized for outstanding volunteer contributions to St. Eulalia Parish. 

She formerly volunteered at The Christmas House in Coudersport, and the Coudersport Public Library. 

She enjoyed watching her son, Robert, play basketball during his high school and college years, and did the same with her grandchildren. She was especially a vocal fan of the Lady Falcons during the late 1980s-2000s, when her granddaughters played. 

She enjoyed Word Find games and crossword puzzles, and never missed an episode of Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy. She appreciated visits when her children and grandchildren would bring their dogs. She was proud of maintaining her independence and continuing to live in her own home. 

In addition to her parents and husband, Mrs. Tingley was preceded in death by her son, Robert Tingley, in 2021; three sisters, Lois Dillon, Anna Belle Franklin, and Elenore Dybowski; four brothers, John Dybowski, Hermin R. “Jerry” Dybowski, Arthur Dybowski and Edward Dybowski. 

She is survived by two daughters, Jacqueline (James) Tilley of Coudersport and Teri (Roger) McDowell of Port Allegany; a daughter-in-law, Patti Tingley of Coudersport; 13 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Shirley Tingley of Columbus, IN; and many nieces and nephews. 

Visitation will be held from 1pm to 2pm on Friday, August 30, 2024, in the gathering space at St. Eulalia Catholic Church in Coudersport. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 2pm in the church, with the Rev. Christopher Wheeler, as celebrant. Burial will be in St. Eulalia Catholic Cemetery, Coudersport. 

Memorials may be made to St. Eulalia Catholic Church, 6 Maple Street, Coudersport, PA 16915; the Coudersport Public Library, 502 Park Avenue, Coudersport, PA 16915; or to a charity of the donor’s choice. 

Helen’s family entrusted her care to Kevin J. Dusenbury, funeral director/owner of the Virgil L. Howard Funeral Home, Shinglehouse. To express condolences, light a candle or share a fond memory of Helen, please visit www.virgillhowardfuneralhome.com or the Virgil L. Howard Funeral Home Facebook page.