Helen Raymond Obituary

Helen J. (Ciskowski) Raymond, 90, of East Providence, RI, passed away peacefully at home Friday, February 28, 2025. She was the beloved wife of the late Norbert A. Raymond for over 57 years.
She was born in Boston, Massachusetts and was the daughter of the late John and Jeanette (Thomey) Ciskowski. Helen lived in Seekonk, MA for 56 years in the house her late husband built. Later in life they moved to East Providence.
Helen was a proud graduate of Boston University, where she earned a Masters in Music Education. She was a member of Mu Phi Epsilon and Pi Kappa Lambda. After graduating, she went on to teach music in the Belleville, New Jersey Public Schools. She then came back to teach in the public schools of Brookline, Massachusetts. For over 60 years, starting in college and through her public school career, she taught piano privately. After moving to Seekonk, she continued her passion of teaching privately at home, full time, for all ages on her cherished Steinway Grand. Known for always having a snack ready for the students that came straight from school, many of those students stayed in touch long after moving away. The "Helen Raymond Piano Teacher" sign that hung outside of the family home for decades was known by all in the neighborhood, and a landmark for many a traveler of Newman Avenue. She retired from private teaching in her early 80s to take care of her husband.
She was a member of the Rhode Island Civic Chorale for over two decades. She enjoyed live music performances and theater. Helen enjoyed gardening, and maintaining the beautiful landscaping of their property. She enjoyed traveling and exploring nature across the US and Canada with her husband and daughter. She was the official scribe on vacations documenting every meal, stay and excursion. Years later, she could quickly and effortlessly procure in-depth knowledge from her files of any and all facts pertaining to their travels. This made her an invaluable resource for her friends and family alike. Her map reading skills were not quite as sharp. When asked how far away they were from a town or landmark, she was famous for holding up her thumb and index finger and proclaiming, "about this far".
Another pleasure of Helen's was baking. The family home was never without homemade goodies. Besides her exceptional banana bread that her daughter loved, she was known for her individually wrapped blueberry muffins, brownies and her son-in-law's personal favorite, oatmeal squares.
Helen's top priority was family and when her son-in-law came into her life, she had found a kindred spirit that kept her on her toes and laughing. She will be greatly missed.
She is survived by her daughter Andrea Corbett and her husband Quinn, of Pawtucket, her sister, Ann Coska of West Roxbury, MA, her sister-in-law, Beatty Raymond, of Lakeland, FL and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
Donations in her memory, can be made to HopeHealth Hospice and Tockwotton on the Waterfront.
HopeHealth Hospice:
Online at www.HopeHealthCo.org/InMemory or sent to HopeHealth Hospice, 1085 North Main St., Providence, RI 02904
Tockwotton on the Waterfront:
Online at https://tockwotton.org/support/ or sent to Tockwotton on the Waterfront, Development Department, 500 Waterfront Drive, East Providence, RI 02914
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