Helen Hayes Hussey

Helen Hayes Hussey, 94 of Springfield, died peacefully at 6:05 pm, Sunday, August 12, 2012 at Villa East Health Care in Sherman. She was born March 26, 1918, in Christopher, Illinois to John and Mary Sedlacek Embrofchan. She and her brother, George Ember, were raised in Christopher and Taylorville, Illinois.
Helen married Paul E. Bridges in 1935, relocated to Springfield, Illinois and raised two children; Carolyn Scott and Paul Bridges, Jr., who now resides in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas with his wife, Lynda “Smiley”.
Helen started her career in 1962, following her husband’s death. She quickly achieved the status of Executive Secretary in the Illinois State Governor’s Office, where she remained for ten years (and through three administrations). Later in her career, Helen also served as an investigator for the Illinois Department of Labor.
In 1971, she married Carl Richard Hussey, a Vice President with the Chicago Northwestern Railroad. That union brought three more sons into Helen’s life; Stephen Hussey of Saratoga, California, C. Mark Hussey of Western Springs, Illinois and James Hussey of Hawthorne Woods, Illinois.
Upon Carl Richard’s retirement from the railroad in 1983, Helen and Carl Richard relocated from Chicago to St. Joseph, Missouri – where they “lived the journey” until Carl’s death in 1998. Helen then returned to Illinois, where she took up residency at the Villas in Sherman and membership in the Sherman United Methodist Church. While at the Villas, Helen earned the informal title of “Social Matriarch”.
In 2009, Helen relocated from the Villas in Sherman to Montvale Estates. She returned to the Villas later that same year, after an unexpected illness.
Helen was preceded in death by her parents, John and Mary Embrofchan; her daughter, Carolyn Scott; brother, George Ember; first husband, Paul Bridges; second husband, Carl Richard Hussey.
She is survived by her son and his wife, Paul and Lynda Bridges; three step sons and their wives, Stephen and Terry Hussey, Mark and Linda Hussey and Jim and Cheryl Hussey; fourteen grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren.
No one who ever met Helen Hussey will forget her vitality, energy and can-do attitude. As was said about her on more than one occasion, “no one ever wondered at which point Helen entered a room full of people”, and that was a good thing.
Visitation: 10-11 am, Saturday, August 18, 2012 at Staab Funeral Home.
Funeral Service: 11 am, Saturday, August 18, 2012 at Staab Funeral Home with Reverend Julia Melgreen officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Ridge Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Sherman United Methodist Church.
The world has lost “one tough Croatian” with the passing of Helen Hayes Hussey. She will truly be missed.