Helen Theresa Nitko (Sosnowski) passed away peacefully on Friday, December 30, 2011 at Overlook Hospital Hospice in Summit. She was 92. Born in Carteret on Jan 16, 1919, daughter of the late Frank and Stephania Sosnowski, Helen was a resident of the Chelsea Assisted Living in Warren for the past six years and was formerly a long time resident for over fifty years of Rahway in the home that her husband and she built to raise their family.

Helen had varied jobs throughout her life. She worked on the manufacturing line of the F6F Hellcat fighter plane during WWII, and later worked in several other jobs in Westinghouse, Alcan and Regina. She was a wonderful cook and homemaker. But most of all she was the best Mother, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother to all her family. Helen was a warm, caring and generous woman who was greatly loved by her family and will be terribly missed and forever remembered.

She was predeceased by her husband of 49 years, Joseph J. in 1988, her brother, Stanley Sosnowski, and Sisters: Lottie Yamouny, Teresa Silagyi, and Francis Nagewicz.

She is survived by her son, Raymond Nitko and his wife Barbara of Toms River and her daughter Patricia Fortuna and her husband Frank of Long Valley. She is also survived by five grandchildren; Robert Nitko and his wife Debra, Deborah Yaskulka and her husband David, Lisa Walter and her husband Donald, Laura Long and her husband Gregory and Frank Fortuna III and his wife Jennifer, Nine Great-Grandchildren; Travis, Christian, Ashley, Benjamin, Noah, Raymond, Daniel, Ryan and Emily.
Also survived by sisters Irene Brechka, of Williamstown, Mary Pusillo of Carteret and Rose Yavorsky of Barnegat.


The family will receive friends at William J Leber Funeral Home on Tuesday, January 3 from 5-8pm. A Funeral Mass will be offered at Our Lady of the Mountain, Schooley's Mountain Road, Long Valley on Wednesday January 4 at 10:30am. Internment is at St. Gertrude's Cemetery, Colonia, NJ. In Lieu of flowers, memorial donations are requested to Atlantic Hospice, 33 Bleeker Street, Millburn, NJ, 07041 or a charity of your choice.