Helen Roberta Sweeney
1915-Jan. 8, 2007
Mountain View, California

Longtime Mountain View resident Helen Roberta Sweeney, a member of the Bubb family which has made a lasting mark on Mountain View, passed away peacefully in her home on Jan. 8, 2007, at the age of 93. Her husband Joseph was by her side.

Sweeney was born Helen Roberta Bubb in Mountain View, a member of the family that pioneered apricot and prune cultivation in the Santa Clara Valley. One of two daughters, her parents William and Eleanor Bubb are namesakes of the present-day Bubb School and Bubb Park.

After graduating from Mountain View High School, Sweeney received her bachelor's degree in music education from San Jose State in 1935. She played the cello, sang and directed youth choirs, and enthusiastically supported the San Francisco Giants.

Sweeney was an active member of the Mountain View Historical Society and dedicated her later years to preserving the rich heritage of the area. She was also engaged with the First Presbyterian Church, which her family organized 100 years ago.

Sweeney is survived by her husband of 71 years, Joseph; sons John and Paul and their spouses; a close niece; seven grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a son, William George, and her sister Frances.

According to family members, one of her last wishes was that people maintain the beauty of Mountain View and Los Altos as the "Valley of Heart's Delight."

Tags: arts/media