Helen Keledjian

Helen Anne Lawlor Keledjian (January 31, 1948 – September 24, 2021) was known by many names throughout her fruitful life.  Born in Detroit, MI as the youngest of four daughters of John and Helen Lawlor, she was known as “Dolly” by her family as the cute baby of the family.  She grew to become “Helen,” a beautiful and statuesque fashion model coming of age during the tumultuous 1960’s.  She saw the birth of Motown in the clubs and the birth of civil rights on the streets of the Motor City.  Amidst all this change, she went on a blind date with school teacher Edward James Keledjian, fell in love and married on December 28, 1968, becoming “Mrs. Keledjian.”  Soon thereafter, she became “Mom” to son Alex and daughter Kate.  Years later, she re-entered the workforce and became “Helen Wheels,” the drivetime traffic reporter for a local radio station.  She went back to school, graduated with a BA from Barat College in Lake Forest and became a paralegal for the General Counsel of Comdisco, Inc. in Rosemont.  She helped that company grow to a multi-billion dollar International concern, working overseas in the London and Paris offices in the 1990s.  Years later, she became “Grandma” to four grandchildren, Alessandra, David, Lia, and Charlotte.

She was a fiercely intelligent and independent thinker who saw the world with a boundless curiosity that fueled her lifelong avocation as a voracious reader and patron of the arts.  She could appreciate a delicate flower or a massive skyscraper with the same sharp eye, seeing the world as it was but also appreciating the beauty in it.  She managed the business of life with an intense pragmatism that helped navigate her family through illness, hardship and loss by providing guidance, strength and instilling a deep sense of family.  She is survived by her husband of 53 years Edward James Keledjian, son Alex, daughter Kathrine and sister Maureen.

She asks that well-wishers donate to Wounded Warriors Project in her name.