family and friends look on. Photo by Molly Cotner and Gregory Howell.
Helen Lynch’s love story began with a blind date.Two sisters, knowing that a young sailor named Thomas Lynch would soon have shore leave and return to Baltimore, thought he should meet Helen. They arranged the introduction without either knowing quite what to expect. When asked recently if it was love at first sight, Helen Lynch’s face lit up. She smiled broadly and answered without hesitation.
“Yes,” she said. “Love at first sight.”
That moment grew into a marriage, a family and a life that now spans a full century.
Lynch turned 100 on Feb. 6, celebrating the milestone surrounded by family and friends at the Carriage House on Pueblo’s Riverwalk. The room was filled with conversation, laughter and generations of loved ones gathered to honor a woman whose life has quietly touched many.
Born in 1926, Lynch has lived through nearly every defining chapter of modern American history. She experienced the Great Depression, World War II, the civil rights movement and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Through it all, family members say, she met the world with steadiness, curiosity and faith.
Her husband, Thomas Lynch, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II aboard the USS Alabama. After the war, he worked as a marshal in Green Mountain Falls, Colorado. Together, the couple raised seven children. Today, Helen Lynch’s family has grown to include 24 grandchildren and 53 great-grandchildren, with two more expected.
“She built a family that keeps growing,” said her great-granddaughter, Seraphima Lynch. “And she knows every name.”
Helen grew up in Baltimore, where her family owned a successful diner. That stability helped protect them from the harshest effects of the Great Depression, though the era shaped her values. From an early age, she learned the importance of work, community and resilience.
Colorado became part of her story in the late 1960s, though Pueblo would come later. In 1979, her son Ed arrived in Pueblo as a student at what is now Colorado State University Pueblo. Eventually, three of her sons settled in the city. In 2012, Helen followed, making Pueblo her home.
Professionally, she worked as a secretary at Colorado College, a role that offered unexpected opportunities. Through her work, she traveled internationally, including trips to China, Ukraine and Greece. Those experiences deepened her appreciation for culture, history and faith, interests she still speaks about with clarity and enthusiasm.
Her ties to Greece remain especially meaningful. Helen Lynch is deeply connected to her Greek heritage and the Orthodox Christian faith, attending services every Sunday. That devotion has carried forward through her family. One of her sons is an Orthodox priest, continuing a spiritual legacy that spans generations. He is also the father of Seraphima Lynch, a senior at Pueblo Central High School.
Seraphima was the family member who first reached out to the Pueblo Star Journal to share her great-grandmother’s story. She gathered memories from across the family, helped document Helen Lynch’s life and personally invited reporters Molly Cotner and Gregory Howell to attend the celebration.
“Faith has always been part of her life,” Seraphima Lynch said of her great-grandmother. “And it is part of ours because of her.”
That strength has also shown itself physically. In her 60s, Helen took up fencing as a hobby, only to discover she had a natural talent. She went on to compete and earn recognition as a fencing champion. She also enjoyed line dancing and has remained active well into her later years.
Even now, at 100, Helen continues to take classes focused on physical health. She drove until just a few years ago and still enjoys daily walks, reading and staying engaged with the world around her.
At her birthday celebration, one moment stood out above the rest. A cake was brought out topped with 100 candles, their flames flickering across the room. With visible excitement, Helen leaned forward and blew them out, drawing cheers and applause from family and friends.
“She couldn’t wait,” Seraphima Lynch said, laughing. “She loved every second of it.”
The celebration at the Carriage House reflected the life it honored. It was not about spectacle, but about presence. Children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren moved easily through the space, greeting friends, sharing memories and surrounding Helen with affection.
As Pueblo continues to grow and change, Helen Lynch stands as a reminder of continuity and care. Her story is not one of fame, but of devotion to family, faith and living fully, even when life unfolds in unexpected ways.
Asked recently how she feels about turning 100, Helen smiled once more.
She is still, after all these years, very much in love with life.
Editor’s note: The Pueblo Star Journal honors lives of meaning and milestones through independent reporting and does not require payment to share stories of community celebration. While the newspaper also offers self-service options through its classifieds section, a century of life is a story worth telling. Readers who wish to share moments of celebration, remembrance or significance are encouraged to reach out to the Pueblo Star Journal.
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