Helen Mayberry was born in Los Angeles, at the California hospital, to Catalina Adargo Godman and Don Godman, on May 23rd, 1924.
Much to her chagrin, it was not on her beloved island in Avalon. After she was healthy enough to travel, she was escorted back to the island on the S.S. Catalina in Mr. Wrigley’s State Room, courtesy of her Uncle Pete Adargo.
Uncle Pete worked on the steamer, giving historical orations to passengers traveling to Avalon.
During her formative years, she went back and forth to Catalina Island, which was her favorite place in the world.
Helen spent time with many relatives, including her Uncle Everett who dived under the glass bottom boat sans equipment to wave to the tourists.
She spent a great deal of time diving for coins and fishing with her cousin Vange McClintock as well as basking in the sunshine on North Beach. Throughout her life, no matter what, she always returned to her Island.
Helen attended Monrovia High School, and graduated on June 4th, 1941.
With her academic prowess, she graduated from the University of Southern California with her degree in nursing on June 15th, 1946.
Helen went straight to work at the Los Angeles County Hospital in the emergency room.
Helen worked in a variety of wards, including surgical, labor and maternity, psychiatric, pediatric, and intensive care, but her real love and passion was for the fast-paced ER trauma room.
It was there in the ER that Helen met and fell in love with her husband George, who was an ambulance driver.
The duo piloted their own kneeknocker airplane and eloped to Ensenada, Mexico, in the spring of 1950.
In 1951 they moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, to pursue George’s job at the Nevada test site.
She went to work in the ER at Memorial Hospital.
Helen and George had four kids, Michael, Terry, Randy, and Margy.
She continued to practice nursing in a private practice for over 20 years.
Helen lost her husband in 1964.
However, she continued to work and provide for her four young children all on her own.
In the interim of this, she still found time for community service.
She was the nurse for Golden Gloves Boxing, school nurse for both St. Anne’s and Bishop Gorman High School, the chairman of the Ways and Means committee, and she worked on the St. Anne’s altar society.
Helen was 93 years old when she completed her beautiful journey on Earth on January 2, 2018.
On behalf of all the Mayberry children and grandchildren, we thank you for being an integral part of her glorious adventure.
