Helen Van Cleave, longtime Georgetown resident, died April 26, 2024 in Round Rock, Texas at the age of 97. Born on May 9, 1926 in Philadelphia to Joseph Aliwishes and Marie Conner Hughes, she was raised by her adoptive parents May Thomas Blaurock and Andrew Blaurock in Palisades Park, New Jersey. After graduating from Leonia High School and attending secretarial school, she worked in advertising in New York City. She loved girls’ night out to dinner and a Broadway musical in her single years. Helen met her future husband Calvin at a serviceman’s social in New York City in 1948. Helen married Calvin on December 28, 1951 and after the birth of their first child the couple moved to Austin, Texas in the early 1950s where they raised their six children. Once the children were in high school, Helen put her secretarial skills back to work as an executive secretary for TDMHMR during the
1970s and 80s.
Helen is survived by daughters Christine Attoun of Georgetown; Carole Albyn of Madison, Alabama; sons Calvin Lee of Round Rock; Steven Donald of Georgetown; Clifford Scott of Weir and is predeceased by husband Calvin and daughter Joan Anne Van Cleave. She is also survived by ten grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.
Helen enjoyed traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles, and playing Scrabble. She will be remembered as a strong, intelligent person with a great sense of humor who knew what she wanted, loved her family, and enjoyed a simple life.
A memorial service and celebration of life will be held at 10:00 am on June 14, 2024 at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home in Pflugerville, Texas, where in accordance with her wishes her remains will be interred.
To share memories of Helen with her family, visit www.cookwaldencapitalparks.com