Helen Swiacki, 96, devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, as well as talented homemaker and 1956 Charter Member of Our Lady of Calvary Parish, died in her Northeast Philadelphia home on August 2nd.

Mrs. Swiacki was the embodiment of the Great Generation as she came of age during the Depression and distinguished herself during W.W.II. She sent her husband and two brothers off to war, and she became "Rosie the Riveter", welding airplane wings at the Budd Plant. She was proud of her ability to weld and to have contributed to the war effort. She spoke about her experience well into old age. She was also proud of her work as a fashion model before raising a family. She modeled for Wanamaker's under the name Helen Wallace.

Mr. & Mrs. Swiacki were exceptional dancers, especially dancing to the Big Bands and to the Polka. They were avid bowlers, enjoyed the casinos, clothes shopping, and entertaining the family with festive dinners and barbecues.

While devoted to her husband, the center of Mrs. Swiacki's life was her five children. She gave up luxuries and even necessities to make them comfortable. The children were steeped in Catholic values and all five graduated from college. Mrs. Swiacki cultivated a loving household, marked by her creative skills as a baker, gourmet cook, seamstress, gardener, and interior decorator. As a hobby, she made embroidered objects from jewelry boxes and bed covers to aprons and pot holders, which she gave as gifts to others.

Of her many attributes, Mrs. Swiacki, influenced by the immigrant journey, the distress of the Depression, and losing her father at age nine, was of a strong character. When life became especially difficult for her as a widow and as she faced critical health issues, she continually said: "Never give up," and she said it in English, Lithuanian and Polish. It became a cherished slogan in the family.

Mrs. Swiacki is survived by five children, Francis, Gerald, Sandra, Laurita, and Joseph; their spouses Eve, Leona, William, and Lisa; three grandchildren, Alexandra, Mathew, and Victoria; three great grandsons, Sean, Edward, and Daniel; her sister, Emily Siergiej,94, and sister-in-law, Betty Vendzules, 91.

Services will be held on Monday, August 8, 2016 at St. Katherine of Siena Church, 9700 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA. Visitation begins at 8:45 AM to 10:45 AM, concluding with a eulogy. A Mass of Christian Burial follows at 11 AM. The family requests no flowers. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Helen's memory to the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity, Advancement Office, 3501 Solly Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19136.