Helen Virginia Gorga

On September 2, 2025, Helen Virginia Gorga joined her husband, Joseph F Gorga, Jr., known lovingly as “Junie”, her brother, Michael Mihalik, her adoptive parents, Persis & Walter McIntyre, and numerous four-legged friends, who preceded her in death. This will be a long-awaited reunion as her husband, Junie, predeceased her by 30 years.
Helen was born on March 14, 1936. While her early life was not ideal – she and her brother were separated after they entered the foster system – Helen did find a caring home with her adoptive parents at the age of 12. Her brother later found her and they spent many years getting to know each other again, including many a New Year’s Eve playing cards until the early morning hours.
Shortly after her marriage to Junie on September 6, 1958, they bought a house in Piscataway, NJ. She lived in that house until 1997 when she moved to Powhatan, VA to be closer to her daughter after Junie passed in 1995.
Her favorite “job” was volunteering at the Maymont Nature Center in Richmond, VA where her extroverted nature and love of animals combined to introduce visitors to various mammals and reptiles up close and personal. For the last 9 years, she has been a part of the Sunrise of Bon Air Assisted Living Community where many folks, both caregivers, like Robert, and residents, like her cardsharp buddy Ken, made her days full and happy. She always enjoyed varied activities such as bingo, church, and sing-a-longs. The card table will likely be called Helen’s table for some time as playing cards and saying “Hi!” to all the passersby in the “living room” was one of her favorite activities and a common place to find her. Helen was quick to smile, laugh and make people feel included.
She will be missed more than words can express by her daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Mark DeGaust, her sister-in-law, Fran Mihalik, her in-laws, Mona and Dan DeGaust, her extended marital family Laura and Derek Fredenburg and their children Emma and Daniel, and all who knew her.