Helen Taylor Massey

Helen Taylor Massey passed away peacefully on March 7 at Givens Estates at the age of 83. Helen was born on May 8, 1935. A native of Buncombe County, she resided in her younger years in Lexington, NC with her brothers and sisters at the Junior Order United American Mechanics Home. She was the daughter of the late James and Daisy Bell Taylor and was preceded in death by a sister, Margaret Stewart, and 6 brothers, James Taylor, Johnny Taylor, David Taylor, Robert Taylor, Ronald Corn, and Tommy Corn. Helen worked for over 20 years at the Magnavox facility in Arden and then became a substitute teacher in the Buncombe County school system, primarily working at the Glen Arden and Avery's Creek schools. Helen enjoyed her long daily walks and her gardens. She loved working with flowers and landscaping. Known as "Nana" by her grandsons, she loved her family immensely. Her grandsons were the joy of her life. Helen was well known for her constant smile. Known as "Smiley" in high school, she never stopped smiling, which is a dear memory her family is blessed to have. A great day for Helen was to go for a walk, work in her flower garden, eat vegetables from the garden, and have a visit from her family. Helen never had to leave her home to enjoy her life - her home is what made her happy. Helen is survived by her son, Wes "Randy" Elingburg, his wife Cathy and their son Nolan, and a daughter Brenda Schreiber, her husband Stan plus their sons Scott and Brett. She is also survived by her husband, Coy Massey, and 3 sisters, Mary Nash, Dorothy Ann Morgan, and Donnie Grindstaff, along with many nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank the staff at Givens Estates for their care of Helen the past 2 years. Your kindness is very much appreciated. The family would also like to thank the staff at Memory Care for their care of Helen. A Memorial Service will be held at 3:00 PM Tuesday, March 12, 2019 at Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian. Friends will be received following the service at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Memory Care, 100 Far Horizons Lane, Asheville, NC 28803.