Helga Garofalo, Longtime Riverside Resident Who Owned Riverside Garage , Riverside Auto Parts

From Castiglione Funeral Home.

Helga Garofalo passed away peacefully on Sept. 20, 2014 after a brief illness.

Born in Germany in 1921, she came to this country with her family as a child.

She lived in New York briefly and has lived in Riverside for most of her life. She attended Riverside Elementary School and Greenwich High School. She worked at the several places including Electrolux Corp. She and her husband John were married in 1940 and had 60 years together. They were the owners and operators of Riverside Garage and Riverside Auto Parts. She continued to manage the property until her death.

She loved puzzles, reading, gardening and her grand dogs. She was proud of her family and all 12 of her grandchildren. She has four great0grandchildren.

She is survived by her daughter Nina Kane and husband Bob, her son John and wife Kate, her son Chris and wife Diane, and her daughter Lisa and husband Glenn.

Helga suffered the loss of her daughter, Hedy, and has been widowed for 13 years.

Services will be at the First Congregational Church, 108 Sound Beach Ave., Old Greenwich at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27.

Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or the Wounded Warriors Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka,KS 66675.

For online condolences, please visit www.castiglionefh.com