Obituary of Helen Ivan Cyrus

Helen Ivan Cyrus, 84, of Farmingdale passed away at home on Monday, December 16, 2024.  Helen was born, raised and had lived in Perth Amboy and Tinton Falls before settling here in 1999.  After graduating from Seton Hall, Helen went on to work in the administration department at NYU Hospital for over 30 years before retiring in 2001.  Helen was a woman of deep faith and a devoted parishioner of St. Catherine of Siena Church in Farmingdale, where she served as a Eucharistic Minister and a member of the finance committee. Together with her husband, John, she embraced a life of adventure, traveling the globe—from numerous cruises to Australia and New Zealand, journeys across Europe, and expeditions as far as the North Pole and the southernmost reaches of Chile en route to Antarctica. Helen cherished the thrill of exploration, yet she also found joy in life’s simpler pleasures, like completing word searches. Above all, her greatest happiness came from spending time with her beloved family.

Helen was predeceased by her first husband, Robert; and brothers, John, Stephen and Joseph Banas.  She is survived by her husband of 21 years, John D. Cyrus; children, Dr. Cynthia Cyrus and her husband, Tom Dowling of White Bluff, TN and Liesl Maine and her husband, Anthony of Woodbridge, VA; six grandchildren, Amelia Berle, Nathaniel Berle, Nissa Berle, Logan Maine, Delenn Maine, and Elora Maine; nieces and nephews, Jennifer Bettes and her husband, Michael,  Allison Bettes and her husband, Daniel, Veronica Banas, Lisa Siemanowicz, Joseph Banas and Robert Banas and his wife, Dana; as well as nine grand nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road (Route 524), Freehold Township on Friday, December 20, 2024 from 9:00 to 10:45 AM.  A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 AM following the visitation at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 31 Asbury Road, Farmingdale.  Interment will follow in Holy Trinity Cemetery, Perth Amboy.  For information, directions or to leave condolence messages for the family, visit www.claytonfuneralhome.com