Helen (Samakes) Puscizna, 96, of Dartmouth passed away peacefully Monday morning, July 16, 2018 at the Hathaway Manor Nursing Facility. She was the wife of the late Theodore Puscizna.

Born in Freetown, the daughter of the late John and Echalia (Karakovone) Samakes, she resided in Fairhaven most of her life. She was a devout and lifelong member of the St. George Greek Orthodox Church.

Helen grew up in New Bedford with her two sisters and widowed mother during the most difficult years of the Great Depression. Although she loved school and excelled, she had to leave high school and go to work before she was 16 years old to help support her family. She worked as a stitcher for the Grinnell Pajama Company for more than 50 years where she made many lifelong and precious friends. She was very well liked and unquestionably loyal to friends and family. She liked gambling and was a lifelong Red Sox fan. She was a member of the North Fairhaven Improvement Association. During the Big Band era of the 1940s, she loved to dance, the Jitterbug in particular. She maintained her love of music and dancing throughout her life and was ably accompanied by her late husband. She especially enjoyed traditional Greek dancing. She spoke Greek fluently and was proud of her heritage. She recognized and appreciated the sacrifice it required of her parents to immigrate to America at the turn of the century. St. George was her patron saint and an important source of her strength and resilience. She had strong faith and only prayed for others, not for herself.

Survivors include her son, Michael Puscizna and his wife Margaret of Dartmouth; her niece, Georgia Madruga and her family of Acushnet; her cousins, Mary Nugent of Nashua and George Semekis of Chelmsford and their families; several nephews, George Borden of New Bedford, James Borden of Hilo, HI, John Borden of Hampton, VA, and Steven Puscizna of Rehoboth, and their families; and her late nephew's wife, Peggy Borden and her family of New Bedford.

She was the sister of the late Mary Borden, Kostadena Daignault, and Alexandra Samakes who died as an infant. She was also predeceased by her nephew, Robert Borden, her brothers-in-law, Walter Borden, Leo Daignault, Casimir Puscizna, and Mitchell Puscizna, and her uncle, Anthony Semekis and his wife Olga.

Her funeral service will be held on Thursday, July 19, 2018 at 11AM at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 186 Cross Road, Dartmouth. Burial will follow at Pine Grove Cemetery. Visiting hours are respectfully omitted. Arrangements are by the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.