Helene Grande

Helene Comtesse Stent Grande joined eternity on Thursday, April 25, 2019 at her home surrounded by her loving family. Helene was born in Erie on January 5, 1947 the daughter of the late Albert A. Stent and Janice A. McCartney Stent.

Helene was a graduate of Strong Vincent High School class on 1964. She earned an Associate’s Degree in Specialized Business from Erie Business Center; a BA in English with a concentration in literature from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania; and an MA in Liberal Studies with a concentration in world literature from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She served as a member and past president of the Erie County Public Library Advisory Board, and was a member and judge for the Erie County Poet Laureate Initiative. She was an essay scorer for the Academic Sports League and the United States Academic Decathlon. Helene was a member and former Elder of Elmwood Presbyterian Church, where she helped with the church’s food bank. She retired from the Erie School District where she coordinated the district student and staff poetry search for 13 years.

 Helene loved her family most of all. She also loved dance, music, art, and literature, particularly poetry and short stories, and learning in general.

Helene is survived by her beloved husband of 46 years, James M. Grande, whom she married on May 6, 1972, and her three children; Melissa A. Garrison (Russell) of Worthington, OH; Marie C. Birdsong (James) of Denver, CO; and Michael S. Grande (Barbara) of Erie. She is survived by her grandchildren Kate, Violet, and Russell Garrison, Jr. of Worthington, OH; and Roland, Rocco, and Rory Grande of Erie. She is further survived by her sisters; Lucy (Paul) Repko of Poland, OH and Anne (James) Wood of Glenside, PA as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Friends are invited to call at the Quinn Funeral Home, West 9^th & Liberty St. on Monday from 3:00 PM until 7:00 PM and   are invited to attend Funeral Services Tuesday at 11:00 AM in Elmwood Avenue Presbyterian Church, 2816 Elmwood Ave., Erie, PA. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Salvation Army, Erie Shriner’s Hospital for Children, or Elmwood Avenue Presbyterian Church.