Obituary of Mary Helen Joint

Mary Helen Joint, 97, of Savona, NY died on May 29, 2020 following a gradual decline in her health. Mary Helen was born November 1, 1922 in Savona to Cora Helen (Butts) and Fred Carson Joint. She graduated from Savona Central School in 1940 and went on to earn a B.A. and M.A. from Cornell University. She taught History in the Greenwood and Chittenango School systems in the late 1940’s and moved to Penfield, NY in the early 1950’s to take a position as a Guidance Counselor in the Penfield School system. She was Director of the Guidance Department for many years and remained at Penfield until her retirement in 1978. Mary Helen loved Savona. She was close to her mother and brother, Frederic, who was raising his family in Bath, NY. She spent most weekends and summers during her working life in Savona and in 1962 had a home built for herself on the Joint Family Farm. When she retired from the Penfield School system she returned permanently to Savona. She purchased the Joint Hardware building that had been built in 1896 by her uncles and father after the original hardware building had been destroyed by fire. Mary Helen reopened the hardware business, and then started Rocking Horse Antiques. She ran her antique business successfully until 2005 when at the age of 82 she finally truly retired. Mary Helen enjoyed much travel during her life, had many good friends, and was an important and committed presence in the lives of her nieces and nephew. She had a wonderfully detailed memory of growing up in Savona and had many interesting stories of the people who populated the village and surrounding farms during her childhood years. She knew the history of many of the families who had settled in Savona from the time her family arrived in 1870. Thomas and Maria Joint, Mary Helen’s grandparents, had immigrated to Long Island, NY from County Mayo, Ireland in 1862 and were enticed to settle in Savona by the presence of several Irish relatives and the promise of work on the Erie Railroad. Mary Helen was fun loving…there are stories! She loved life, loved her family, and loved the village of Savona and the surrounding hills and farms. She is survived by nieces Nancy Joint, Carolyn (Edward) Mitchell, Kathryn (Anthony) Vecchiarelli, nephew William (Melissa) Joint, their children, and grandchildren, all of whom she took great joy in knowing. She was predeceased by her parents, her brother Frederic and sister-in-law Eleanore, and her brother Chester. Mary Helen’s family would like to express their gratitude to all who provided care, kindness and companionship to Mary Helen and enabled her to remain in her home enjoying a good life and a peaceful end. Due to the Covid -19 outbreak there will be no public calling hours or funeral service at this time. The family will be holding a private burial service. A Memorial gathering will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Mary Helen’s memory to the Benedek Memorial Library – Building Fund, P.O. Box 475, Savona, NY 14879.