Helen Ward Sperry Mannix, of Wilton, Connecticut, died peacefully at her home on Nod Hill Road, on November 9, 2019, surrounded by her family.
Born to Elmer A. and Helen (Duffy) Sperry, Jr., in Brooklyn, New York, in 1931, she was the third of their 5 children. Helen Ward attended the Brearley School in Manhattan until her family moved to 200 Nod Hill Road in Wilton, Connecticut, in 1941. She then attended the Gilbert & Bennett School in the Georgetown section of Wilton. Helen Ward graduated from the Convent of the Sacred Heart, in Greenwich, Connecticut, and subsequently graduated from Newton College of the Sacred Heart (now part of Boston College), in Newton, Massachusetts, with double majors in music and mathematics.
Throughout her life, Helen Ward was a creative and inventive spirit taking after her father, Elmer A. Sperry Jr., her grandfather and her uncle, who were aviation pioneers inventing the autopilot, gyrocompass, artificial horizon, and gyrostabilizer, among many other innovations.
When she was 17 years old, Helen Ward met her beloved husband of 51 years, the late John F. Mannix. Together they built a home on Nod Hill Road, adjacent to the Sperry homestead in Wilton, and raised their eight children. The center of Helen Ward's life was her family. She loved being a wife and mother above all. She brought her love of the outdoors, her creative talents, and her inventive, adventurous spirit to her family, and she gave great support to her husband in his business and political careers as well as in his philanthropic endeavors. Together, the family actively enjoyed a range of activities: spending summers at their home on Pocomo Point, Nantucket; travels exploring the US and Europe; and sports and cultural activities. A life-long pianist, painter and photographer, Helen Ward imbued her love of the arts in her children. Active in her church, Our Lady of Fatima Parish, as well as in many charitable and community organizations including the Wilton Candlelight Concerts and the semiannual Minks to Sinks sale, Helen Ward was truly an involved and committed citizen during her 76 years in Wilton.
Helen Ward is survived by her eight children: John F. Mannix, Jr., of Durango, Colorado; Helen W. Mannix, of Wellesley, Massachusetts; Mary M. DeBlois, of Sherborn, Massachusetts; Catherine J. Mannix, of Redding, Connecticut; Sheila A. Mannix, of Long Grove, Illinois; Lawrence S. Mannix and his wife, Deidre, of Wilton; Aileen T. Mannix and her husband, Eric Friedenson, of Bethesda, Maryland; and James H. Mannix and his wife, Ann Margaret, of Wilton. In addition, she is survived by sixteen grandchildren; her sister, Ann McGrath; and her brother, Richard Sperry; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours will be held at Our Lady of Fatima Church, 229 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut, on Wednesday, November 13, 2019, 6-8 pm. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Fatima Church, Wilton, on Thursday, November 14, at 10 am.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either the Family & Children's Agency, Norwalk, Connecticut, or Our Lady of Fatima Church, Wilton, Connecticut. To offer the family online condolences visit www.boutonfuneralhome.com.