Helen May Demoray, age 80, of Alma, formerly of Ithaca, passed away Tuesday, March 2, 2010, at Warwick Living Center in Alma. Helen was born in Elm Hall, Michigan, on October 3, 1929, the daughter of Edmund and Lottie (Worthing) Smith. She married Nicholas Demoray on February 6, 1948, in Alma.

Helen loved being a waitress because it was so much fun and she met so many people. She began working at the Sky Top Drive In Theater in St. Louis, then the Super Hamburg in Alma, Colony House in St. Louis, the Clover Leaf and the Big Boy in Alma. After waitressing she began working in retail at the Tempo and then the Fisher Big Wheel, however she never brought home a paycheck as she spent all of her money on clothes for all of the grandchildren. Later she worked in home care, and brought her clients to her own home for holidays with her family. She loved babies and all of her grandchildren. She also enjoyed going for rides in the country, where she knew all of the back roads, playing Canasta and putting jig-saw puzzles together. Helen was a people person, and felt very much at home at Warwick Living Center with all of her friends, both residents and staff, who loved her so.

Helen is survived by her 6 children, RoseMary Cater of Alma, Carol (Roger) DeRosia of Fife Lake, Bonnie (David) Bowen of Ithaca, Laurie (Alan) Godley of Alma, Richard Demoray of Mt. Pleasant, and Nicki (David) Oswald of Ithaca; 19 grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren; 2 great-great grandchildren; and her sisters and brothers, Ann Burton of Ithaca, Mary (Carl) Wheeler of Stanton, William (Marcy) Smith of Sumner, and Lee Smith of Alma. She is also survived by her brother-in-law, Lawrence Holmes of Alma, and her sister-in-law, Maxine Smith of Sault Ste. Marie. She was preceded in death by her husband, Nicholas, in 1986; her brothers, Robert and John Harold Smith; her sister, Hildred Holmes; her son-in-law, Jim Cater; and her infant granddaughter, Breanna Demoray.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Friday, March 5, at the Barden Funeral Home in Ithaca, with Pastor George Showers officiating. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Wednesday and 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Thursday.