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Helen Webster Hassey

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Helen Webster Hassey, the beloved wife of Ernest Hassey of 57 years, passed away November 27th after a short illness. She was surrounded by her whole family and passed away in a very peaceful manner.

Helen was the daughter of the late Dr. and Mrs. J. B. Webster, the sister of the late Dr. Jean J. Webster and the late Peggy Webster. She was the mother of Matthew Hassey of Bourne and a great friend to his ex-wife, Lucy Hassey of South Dartmouth. She was also the mother of her first son Lance Tribe and mother-in-law to his wife Susan of Bellingham, MA. She was the grandmother of their 3 children: Christopher Tribe of Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Dr. Ashley Gallagher of Rochester, NY; and Sara Tribe of Washington, D.C. She was also the great grandmother of 4 children, namely Kiley, Ellie, and Jenna Gallagher and Benjamin Tribe.

As a youngster growing up, she didn't want to go to college or go into nursing as most girls did; she wanted to become a pilot. At the very early age of 16, she began taking flying lessons from the dean of all pilots in the area - namely the late Henry Olden. Before her 19th birthday, she had acquired her private pilot's license, her commercial license, her instrument instructor's license, and her flight instructor's license.

Shortly after that she got a job as a flight instructor at the Embry Riddle School of Aviation in Florida. Embry Riddle was, and still is, one of the oldest and most prestigious flight schools in the country. Shortly after she got there, the U.S. was getting ready to go to war. The military knew that there was a shortage of pilots and that they couldn't train pilots fast enough, so Embry Riddle was sought out to do just that for them.

In 1942, there were just 22 female flight instructors in the whole country and at 18 years old, Helen was the youngest of the group (Embry Riddle at War). Some of these young naval cadets (especially those from the South) couldn't stand the idea of a young, female instructor, and at times, showed some disdain. However, after a few training hours, they realized just how capable these young women were and came to respect them very much. They were always very grateful, when most of her students made the grade.

At times it could be very difficult to have to listen to washed-out cadets' remarks and, of course, they always felt it was the instructor's fault. However, she always felt vindicated when these young cadets would have to fly and go before the review board. Not one of those that had flunked out ever were reinstated to the program. Helen always said if the young pilot didn't have the flying skills required he would be far better off going back to swabbing decks rather than go out and kill himself or wreck his plane. After the program ended with the military, she stayed on at the base as a seaplane instructor.

Her ambition was to get into jet flying, but at the time women weren't allowed to do that and it didn't seem to be in the near future, so Helen returned home. She never gave up her passion for flying. She purchased her own airplane (22 Tango) and joined the N.E. Chapter of the 99's. That was a woman's national flight organization that flew around the country promoting women's flying in every way.

In between her flying time and her marriage, she managed to obtain her Masters Degree in English and raise her 2 beloved sons. She was a woman to make every woman proud of who they were and what they could accomplish. No one could ever downgrade her gender in front of her without being sorry they ever had such a thought.

In lieu of flowers or donations, Helen would like her friends to look up to the heavens and say a short prayer for her. Her husband is sure she'll be in the sky and hear them on their way up to heaven.

At her request, she was cremated and her ashes will be spread across her 20 acre pond in the back yard of her summer home. A remembrance will be held at a later date.

Private funeral arrangements entrusted to AUBERTINE-LOPES FUNERAL HOME, 129 Allen St., New Bedford.

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