Helen Roberts Tucker, always a beautiful, dynamic woman, died on Sept. 15, 2009 at the Brookshire Nursing Center in Hillsborough. She was 89 years old.

The wife of Dr. Landrum S. Tucker, Helen lived in Ripley, Tenn., from 1943 until she moved to Carrboro in 2001.

Helen was creative, productive and loving. She and Landrum were married in February of 1939. After their children Lanny and Johnny were born, they moved to Ripley while Landrum was in the Pacific for two years in World War II.

Helen was born in Greenville, Tenn., and moved to Hot Springs with her parents, Wayne and Claudia Roberts. Helen helped establish the Helen Tucker Developmental Center, which has helped many handicapped citizens.

Helen loved the movies of the 1940s and '50s, reading good literature, politics, sports and helping others in need.

Despite being predeceased by her husband, Landrum; two autistic, epileptic children, Johnny and Sydney; a son with ALS, Chris; and one granddaughter, Lisa, Helen was always optimistic about life and its divine goodness. A few days before she died, she said, "I have had a wonderful life, a life filled with meaning, and I have been blessed to be able to know that."

She is survived by her son, Landrum Tucker Jr.; daughters-in-law Ellie Tucker and Rosemary Tucker Sheets; six grandchildren, Lara, Sasha, Scott, David, Mark, and Steven; and seven great-grandchildren, Laja, Taylor, Savannah, Logan, Aiden, Austin and Jordyn. On the Roberts side she was closest to her nieces Sandra [Roberts], Shirlee Vassey, and Vicki [Roberts] and her nephew Stewart Roberts.

Donations may be made in her name to the Helen Tucker Developmental Center in Ripley, TN, 38063; The Lisa Tucker Scholarship Fund at Appalachian University in Boone; or the ALS Association.