Obituary of Helen Red Starrett

Helen Muriel Wight Starrett (affectionately known as "Red") was born November 21, 1922 in Canandaigua, New York to Glenn and Helen Wight, the second of three daughters. After graduating as valedictorian from high school in Canton, New York, Red attended St. Lawrence University in 1940 where she met Frederic “Ted” Starrett. Ted enlisted in the Army in early 1942, and Red remained at St. Lawrence to graduate Phi Beta Kappa in 1944. Her trunk is full of newspaper clippings outlining the progress of the war, especially the location of General McAuliffe and his aide, Ted Starrett. After college, Red went to Washington, D.C. as a state department intern where she edited daily briefing papers and was part of the delegation in San Francisco during the deliberations for the formation of the United Nations. Red’s involvement in this amazing time in history was always an important memory for her. Upon Ted’s return from the war, Red and Ted were married in Belfast, Maine on June 9, 1945 and were married for 30 years. Red then moved to Winter Park, Florida to be near her sisters. True to her love of music, Red supported many symphony and jazz venues in that area. She summered in Maine to visit her grandchildren until moving back to Maine over ten years ago. Red was predeceased by her sisters, Edna Bird and Marjory Dodge. Red is survived by her son Bruce and his wife Shirley, recently of New Jersey, her son Frederic “Rick” and his wife Lil of Belfast; her grandsons James and Geoffrey Starrett; her granddaughters Heather Carmody and her husband Daniel, and Jennifer Starrett and her husband Jayson Johnson; her great-grandchildren Summer Starrett, Jenson Johnson and Teddy Carmody; and her step-grandchildren Joya and Keith Maynard and their families and daughters. Red died peacefully at Tall Pines Heath Care Facility on March 9, 2013 after a long, debilitating illness. A memorial service will be held on April 20, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at Riposta Funeral Home, 182 Waldo Avenue, Belfast, Maine. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to Sweetser, 50 Moody Street, Saco, Maine 04072; http://www.sweetser.org/. On-line condolences may be offered to the family at www.ripostafh.com.