Helen Walsh Longley (April 11, 1922 – September 13, 2005) was the former First Lady of Maine from 1975 to 1979, and the wife of the U.S. first independent Governor, James B. Longley.[1] [2] Longley was born Helen Angela Walsh in Springfield, Ohio.[1] She met her future husband, then a cadet in the United States Army Air Corps, in 1943.[1] The couple married in 1949 in Ohio and moved to Lewiston, Maine.[1] They had five children, including former Republican U.S. Representative James B. Longley Jr. (born 1951).
Helen Longley | |
|---|---|
| First Lady of Maine | |
| In role January 2, 1975 – January 3, 1979 | |
| Preceded by | Pauline "Polly" Curtis |
| Succeeded by | Constance Brennan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Helen Angela Walsh April 11, 1922 Springfield, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | September 13, 2005 (aged 83) Portland, Maine, U.S. |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5, including James Jr. |
| Relatives | John Moore (grandson) |
As First Lady, Longley was a proponent of the Special Olympics, as well as state medical facilities, including the Maine Medical Center and Mercy Hospital.[1]
Helen Longley died at Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine, on September 13, 2005, at the age of 83.[1] She was a resident of Falmouth, Maine, and a former resident of Lewiston.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Helen W. Longley, 83, wife of former Maine governor". Boston Globe. Associated Press. 2005-09-15. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
- ^ a b "Helen W. Longley 1922-2005". Sun Journal (Lewiston). 2005-09-14. Retrieved 2012-03-08.