Helen Frances McCormack

Helen Frances McCormack, 97, of Aurora, passed away Jan. 30, 2020, at the Bradford Court Assisted Living in Nixa. She was born June 1, 1922, in Max, N.D., to Coleman and Gertrude Riddle. In 1928 the family moved to Kansas City, where she attended school graduating from Northeast High School in 1939. In 1943, she graduated from Central Missouri State Teachers College in Warrensburg, with a bachelor of science degree in education.
She worked for two years at the Army Air Base in Knob Noster, during World War II. In 1946, she married Alvah Paul McCormack. In 1953, the family moved to Pierce City. She was hired as a teacher with the Pierce City High School and taught for two years. In 1955, the family moved to Aurora and she spent 22 years teaching in Aurora schools. She was a member of the Methodist Church. She was the president of the Women’s Society and a leader of the youth group and taught Sunday school.
McCormack is survived by: children, Jim (Judy) McCormack and Patrick (Lisa) McCormack; two grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and a host of friends and former students. She was preceded in death by: her husband, in 1981; her parents, Coleman and Gertrude; brothers, James, who was killed in Italy during World War II, William (Dorothy) Riddle; sisters, Ruth (Guy) Reed and Alice (Ralph) DeVaul; and many of her in-laws.
A visitation, under the direction of the Crafton-Cantrell Funeral Home in Aurora, was held Feb. 4, 2020, at the United Methodist Church in Aurora, with a funeral service that followed. Burial was at the Maple Park Cemetery in Aurora. Memorials may be made payable to the United Methodist Church, in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be shared at www.CraftonCantrellFuneralHome.com.