Helen Mary Jane (Rioux) Surprenant

Helen Mary Jane (Rioux) Surprenant, 80, a long-time resident of Lowell and Dracut, died Saturday, August 20, 2022 at Blair House in Tewksbury after three months of difficult medical challenges. She was the beloved wife of the late Ernest J. “Sonny” Surprenant until his passing in 2015.

 

Born in Brockton, MA on August 25, 1941, she was the daughter of the late Paul E. and Cecile M. (Bourassa) Rioux. Helen was a graduate of Lowell High School. She worked at various positions, such as assembly line worker at a dress shop and home health aide and throughout the years lovingly cared for her daughters, her husband and her elderly Aunt Florence.

 

Helen was a longtime communicant of the former St. Louis Church, currently attended St. Rita’s Church and up until three months ago was a very active participant in the weekly St. Louis charismatic prayer meeting. She enjoyed the simple things in life, like good food and cherished time with family and friends. She was a woman of strong faith in God and her pride and joy were her daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

 

Helen leaves two daughters and their spouses, Florence (Rioux) and Rick St. Armand of Anchorage, AK and Sherry (Surprenant) and Jason LeBlanc of East Hampstead, NH; seven grandchildren, Bryan St. Armand and his wife Janie of CA, Andrew St. Armand and his wife Amberly of AK, Jennifer (St. Armand) Baeza and her husband Jonathan of AK and Montgomery, Tony, Madelynne and Sam LeBlanc all of NH; eight great-grandchildren, Benjamin, Samuel and Layla St. Armand all of CA, Ivan and Addy St. Armand of AK and Emma, Wyatt and unborn baby boy Baeza all of AK; her sister, Dolores Brouillard and her husband Moe of Lowell; as well as many other family and friends.

 

She was the sister of the late Paul Frank Rioux.

 

Relatives and friends are invited to Helen’s Life Celebration on Friday, August 26th from 9 until 11 AM at the McKENNA-OUELLETTE FUNERAL HOME, 327 Hildreth Street, Lowell. Her funeral service will immediately follow in the Chapel at St. Joseph Cemetery, Chelmsford at 11:30 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Helen’s memory to Catholic Charities Boston, https://www.ccab.org/ways-to-give/donate/.