Obituary of Helene G. Combopiano

Helene G. Combopiano, age 78, passed away peacefully but unexpectedly at her home early Saturday morning, December 19, 2015. She is survived by her loving husband of 56 years, Anthony; her three children; son, Ronald and his wife, Veronica of Boiling Springs Lake, NC; daughter, Carla and her husband, James Hickey of Allentown, PA; and daughter, Jan of Brooklyn; five grandsons, Liam, Seamus, & Rowan Hickey and Michael & Marcus Moss; two granddaughters, Tamaira & Tia Moss; her nieces, Rhonda and her husband, Bob Petti and Carrie Teller of Las Vegas; her nephew, Shawn Teller of Las Vegas; her sister-in-law, Karen Teller; her cousins, Linda Levine and her husband, Stuart Hershey of Washington, D.C., Lanny Levine and his wife, Joyce Frank of Montreal, and Gary Levine and his wife, Bridget Watts of Rochester, Barbara and her husband, Chuck Freeman of Rochester and Leon and his wife, Alla Perlman of Sweden. She was predeceased by her father, Howard James Teller; her mother, Celia Perlman Teller; her brother, Larry Teller; her uncle, Harry Perlman; and her aunts, Esther Perlman Levine and Ruth Perlman Fanelli. After graduating from Utica Free Academy, Mrs. Combopiano received her BA degree in foreign languages from Utica College of Syracuse University and was the 10th woman to graduate from Colgate University, receiving her master's degree in teaching Spanish in 1963. Mrs. Combopiano was a Spanish teacher in the Binghamton City Schools for over 30 years, retiring in June 1995. She also taught French and German in the Binghamton School District. Active in the foreign language teaching community, Mrs. Combopiano served as president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer for the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers (NYSAFLT); director of the Southern Tier units of NYSAFLT; and president and vice-president of Dos Rios, the local Spanish teachers group. For the past 10 years, she was the president of the Eastern Broome Branch of the New York State Retired Teachers Association (NYSRTA). She was also a member of the planning committee of the Binghamton University Lyceum, a lifetime learning association for adult learners. Funeral services will be held at the J.A. McCormack Sons Funeral Home, 141 Main Street, Binghamton Tuesday at 1 p.m. Rabbi Barbara Goldman-Wartell will officiate. Burial will be in Vestal Hills Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at the McCormack Funeral Home Tuesday from 12 Noon until 1 p.m. In loving memory and honor, donations can be made to BU Lyceum, NYSAFLT or Eastern Broome Branch-NYSRTA.