Helen Elizabeth (Wilkie) Hagan

Helen Elizabeth Wilkie Hagan shed her earthly bonds on January 6, 2018, concluding a rich and happy life.  She was born on April 16, 1930 in the tiny Smoky Mountain community of Waterville, North Carolina.  Her father, an engineer for Carolina Power and, later, the Tennessee Valley Authority, moved the family to several locations in her youth.  She attended high school in Lenoir City, TN and college at Mars Hill and Carson Newman before teaching school in Dalton GA and Fayetteville NC.   On a blind date, she met Joe Hagan, a career U.S. Air Force officer.  They were married in 1955, and shared 58 devoted years together.  Joe’s military assignments led the family to move several times:  to Florida, North Carolina, Spain, New Hampshire, New York, Arizona, and Tennessee.  In 1968, the couple and their three children settled in Tullahoma TN where Helen taught for many years at St. Paul’s and Good Shepherd schools.   Later, Helen and Joe moved to Jefferson City TN, Florence SC, and finally Pittsburgh PA, her home at the time of her death.  Helen was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph H. Hagan; by her parents, Thomas Raymond Wilkie and Clara Elizabeth Bell Wilkie of Lenoir City TN; and by her brother, Thomas Raymond Wilkie, Jr. of Kingsport TN.  She is survived by children Joseph Howard (Maribeth) Hagan, Jr. of Nashville TN, Julianne Hagan (Randall Feenstra) of Pittsburgh PA, and Susan Elizabeth (Thomas) Gerth of Florence SC.  She is also survived by nine adoring grandchildren:  Jade and Molly Hagan; Eliot, Emily, and Cameron Feenstra; and Tom, Chrissy, Daniel, and Ben Gerth.  A celebration of Helen’s life is planned at 2 pm Friday, January 26, 2018 at Arden Courts of North Hills 1125 Old Perry Hwy, Pittsburgh, PA 15237. A rosary and funeral mass will be held at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Tullahoma TN beginning at 9:45 am on Saturday, January 20th, 2018.  Family will receive friends at a luncheon afterwards.  Inurnment will be at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Jefferson City TN at 2:00 pm on Sunday, January 21st.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Appalachian Outreach, P.O. Box CN 71904, Jefferson City, TN 37760; 865-475-5611. 

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