By Beth Wallach
Skelos, the daughter of Greek immigrants, Harry and Panagiota Stamataky, was born in the Fort Apache section of the Bronx in 1925. She graduated from Walton High School in 1941 after skipping several grades. A professional woman long before it became fashionable, she went to work as executive secretary for Edwin Goodman, founder of the department store Bergdorf Goodman.
Married to Basil Skelos for more than 50 years, she was the mother of three sons and two daughters: New York state Senator Dean Skelos, Supreme Court Justice Peter B. Skelos, Anastasia Lester, Nikolas B. Skelos and Penelope Michelis.
Raised in the Greek Orthodox church, she and Basil were married on Nov. 4, 1954, at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Manhattan. Their nuptials were presided over by Archbishop Michael, who was then the leader of the church in North and South America. The Skeloses raised their family in Rockville Centre. It was then, according to Anastasia, that her mother gained a reputation for not just being mother to her children, but "mother to the whole town." Said Peter, "She was a professional woman who proved her abilities, but wanted to be a mother and a grandmother."
Although never a candidate for public office herself, Skelos, originally from the same Bronx neighborhood as former Secretary of State Colin Powell, was a lifelong Republican. Long before she became involved in her sons' campaigns, she got an early taste of politics by volunteering for Dwight D. Eisenhower.
"She was a Republican because to her it was the party of individuality," said the senator of his mother's political leanings. He said that she felt strongly that every person be treated with respect and have an opportunity to achieve. "She believed if you were willing to work hard, you could achieve anything in this country."
Not a club joiner by nature, Skelos was a volunteer at Mercy Hospital, often interpreting for Greek patients with little or no working knowledge of English. She was also on the U.S. Air Force Academy's academic selection committee. "Education was important to her," said Peter. "She loved to interview the kids applying to the Air Force Academy."
Peter's wife, Faith, said her mother-in-law was an avid reader who paid her grandchildren for ever book they read. "The kids caught on early," said Faith, "and they started reading picture books."
As much as Helen loved books, her husband said it was the newspaper that she had a particular fondness for. "She'd point out editorials and leave them next to my cup of coffee," said Basil. Constantly on the lookout for references to her children in various publications, Dean said, "She was almost my Google."
According to Peter, she was "politically savvy," and while campaigns are ultimately about getting candidates elected, for his mother there was deeper meaning. "It was a way for her to socialize with our friends," said Peter. "I think she stuffed, labeled and stamped more envelopes than anyone else in this town." A highlight for Mrs. Skelos came in 1994, when Dean won re-election to the state Senate and Peter was first elected to the Nassau County bench.
Proud of all of her children, including Nikolas, a chef, Anastasia, a registered nurse, and Penelope, a paralegal, the apple of Mrs. Skelos's eye were her 10 grandchildren, ranging in age from 1 1/2 to 22. Daphne Skelos, 16, a champion swimmer who was often shuttled to practice by her grandmother, remembered how much "Yia Yia," Greek for grandmother, loved the beach. "She always told me and my cousin, Billy, to sweep out the cabana," Daphne recalled. "She didn't like sand. But she was really proud of our education an accomplishments."
Alexis Skelos, 20, a junior at William and Mary College, said Yia Yia was the first to call when she saw her grandkids' names on the high honor roll list in the newspaper. Alexis remembered going to her house every day before school. "Whether we had breakfast or not didn't matter," said Alexis. "We always had to have cinnamon raisin toast at her house before school." Ten-year-old Paige Lester remembered that Yia Yia gave her a new American Girl doll every Christmas. Upon hearing that, family members remarked that someone will have to make sure they pick up where Yia Yia left off and add that to this year's Christmas list.
A wake was held at Thomas A. Glynn and Sons Funeral Home on Sunday. A funeral Mass was held on Monday at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Paul in Hempstead. Several of the Skelos children spoke at the funeral, including Penelope, who said that her mother "provided stability" and was "full of laughter, full of tears, full of love."
In remembering his mother, Peter said, "She always used to say, 'I am proud of all my children.' But we were proud of her." Basil, thinking about his wife, summed things up when he said, "Now all we have left are our memories."
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