Obituary of Helen F. Haskell

Helen Haskell, a longtime resident of Darien, died Friday, November 2nd after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She was 77. Born July 23rd, 1930 in New York City, she was the daughter of Dr. Claude E. Forkner and Marion DuBois Forkner, residents of New York and then Darien for over 20 years. Her grandparents, Helen Sturges DuBois and Arthur Dubois, had built a house on Mead Point in Greenwich in 1905, where they, their children and grandchildren summered for over fifty years. The family lived in Beijing from 1932 – 1937 before moving to New York City. Helen attended Nightingale-Bamford and Northampton School for Girls, where she graduated in 1948. She graduated from Goucher College in 1952. Later that year she married Farrell Bushing Jr. at her parent’s summer home on Butlers Island in Darien. That marriage ended in divorce. She resided in Greenwich for over 22 years and taught at The Brearley School in New York City and Greenwich Academy from 1953 to 1956. In 1980, Helen married Jack Haskell of Tokeneke, where she lived for over 27 years. In addition to being an avid tennis and bridge player, she was an active and accomplished horticulturist for over 40 years. She was a member of the Greenwich Daffodil Society, American Horticulture Society, New York Botanical Gardens, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, New Canaan Nature Center, Bartlett Arboretum Association, American Ivy Society, American Begonia Society and the American Geranium Society. She also served as president of the Connecticut Daffodil Society, Co-Chairman of the Greenwich Garden Club and Co-Chairman and Chairman of the Darien Garden Club. She planted succulents, ornamental shrubs, trees and flower gardens but was most noted for her expertise and accomplishments with growing daffodils. From 1963 to 2003 she planted over 1, 200 varieties of daffodils, entered and judged many competitions and was a frequent lecturer. She was the recipient of numerous local and national awards, including the Horticultural Committee Certificate of Merit, Carey E Quinn Medal, Crawford Award for Horticulture, Preview of Spring Sweepstakes, GCA Horticulture Committee Award and Helen B. Rhodes Trophy. She is survived by her sister Lucy F. Greene of Greenwich, her sons Bill Bushing of Darien and Chris Bushing of Hingham, MA, and three grandchildren Hillary and David Bushing of Darien and Ashley Bushing of Hingham. Her husband, Jack Haskell, who died in 1998 and her brother, Claude E. Forkner, Jr. who died in 1998, predeceased her. In celebration of her life, a luncheon will be held at 12:00 noon, Saturday November 10th at the Wee Burn Country Club at 410 Hollow Tree Ridge Road in Darien. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 372 Danbury Rd., Wilton, CT 06897. Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820