Helen Roelli

Helen Roelli was born in Thun, Switzerland on December 8th, 1942, to Ernst and Mina Spori. She had four siblings, Irene, Marianne, Ursi and Hans. Helen is survived by Ursi.

Helen came to New York at 18 years old to be an au pair, and she later worked at Kraft Foods as a receptionist. She met her husband, Willi Roelli, on a NYC Circle Liner at a Swiss event. They got married in May of 1964. Helen had two boys, Thomas and Mark.

They lived in Queens until 1969 when they moved to Centerport, NY. In 2011 Helen was widowed when Willi died from cancer. Helen lived in Centerport until 2019 at which time she moved to Mt. Arlington, NJ.

Helen was a loving and caring mother to her two boys, Thomas and Mark. She always looked out for their best interests and made sure they were able to participate in whatever activities they wanted like soccer, lacrosse and sailing. Helen was even the den mother for Tom’s Cub Scouts. Helen was also the grandmother of Gabriella and Sofia.

As a family, Helen frequently visited Switzerland to spend time with both her and Willi’s relatives. In Switzerland, she loved to hike, ski and spend time in her beloved Swiss Alps. Downhill skiing was especially something Helen and the whole family enjoyed together.

Helen was a part of many various clubs. She was an avid gardener and belonged to the Centerport Garden Club. She won many prizes over the years for the plants and flowers she grew. Helen was also a member of the Centerport Yacht Club. The whole family were avid sailors. Helen and Willi also loved to play tennis and belonged to the Northport Tennis Club. Helen was a member of a Swiss club called the Bare Club where they join in many events such as playing Jazz, a Swiss card game, picnics and Helen even won a target shooting competition.

Later in life, Helen picked up golfing, a sport she thoroughly enjoyed. She will be loved and missed.