Helen Altomare

January 23, 1942 - May 5, 2022

Helen Altomare was a selfless, empathetic and immensely strong mother and grandmother. Her children felt comfortable to confide In her all their joys and pains in a relationship that radiated pure honesty and unconditional love. Despite many hardships, she remained a nonjudgmental grounding rod, stable and strong for her children to depend on every day of her motherhood. Helen endowed in her children a love and empathy for animals with a house which always was and continues to be full of rescued animals. The neighborhood would drop injured animals to her home which is also a regular stop for birds since she diligently filled feeders for many many years. She was also a loving sibling who looked out for her younger sister after the death of her father at a young age. They remained close throughout her life; not just sisters, but best friends. Helen was so strong and tolerant of pain that she set her own broken bone and lived for months unknowingly with cancer in her spine, bones, liver and lungs and yet never complained. Though Helen isn’t well known like Mother Theresa or St. Francis of Assisi, she was a pious person in her own right through daily acts of kindness, small selfless sacrifices to the people and animals around her. Her life was devoted to serving others. She will be missed immensely by her two sons, Robert and Philip Altomare, Philip’s fiancé Rachel, two grandchildren Aurora Fae and Banyan Ursus, her sister Karen Furrer and Husband Tom Furrer, her nephew and Godson Thomas Furrer and his fiancé Nancy Cantanese, niece Tracy Minnella and husband Chris Minnella, their children Nicolas and James and many friends, neighbors and loved ones. She will go on to join her mother Elsie Nicolaysen, biological father Robert Johnson, step father Johannes Nicolayson, and her much loved daughter-in-law, Ursala. A small prayer service will be held graveside at Washington memorial park on Wednesday, May 11 at 11am Cards and thoughts can be sent to: 189 South Dunton Ave East Patchogue, NY 11772 A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for funeral expenses and a gravestone. Any help in this regard would be especially appreciated.