Helen Dorothy Kuchta Grata, a longtime resident of Miller, Indiana, passed away on Thursday, October 20, 2022, at the age of 99 in Grapevine, Texas. She was born in Gary, Indiana in 1923, to Simon and Josephine (Polek) Kuchta. Her parents and siblings instilled in her the importance of family and friends, as well as a love of gardening, creating things by hand, and the satisfaction of a job well done. Helen graduated from Emerson High School in Gary in 1942 and, during World War II, began work as a secretary in the Division Superintendents office at US Steel Corporation. There, she met her husband of 52 years, John Grata. She left US Steel in 1952 to raise her daughters. During those years, she was an active member of the Gary Artists League, the League of Women Voters, and St Mary of the Lake Catholic Church. She enjoyed sewing, crafting, gardening, bowling, and oil painting. She returned to work as a secretary at the Gary Career Center, until her retirement in 1994. Although she loved Miller and her garden, she moved in 2015, first to Abita Springs, Louisiana, then to Grapevine, Texas to live with her family. All the while she continued to paint, garden, and sew. She loved making new friends, keeping up with old friends, and giving many of them gifts of paintings and plants that she grew from cuttings of her own plants. Her positive attitude, creativity, and willingness to help touched the lives of so many people around her. She will be greatly missed. She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings, and husband. She is survived by her daughters Denise Holman of Abita Springs, Louisiana and Karen Lavery (and husband Larry) of Grapevine, Texas; grandchildren Jennifer Rieck, Ryan (and wife Barrett), Matthew and Connor Lavery, and great grandson Jaco Dylan Pickard; numerous nieces and nephews including Dennis (and wife Cindy) Szymanski of Merrillville, Indiana, Maureen (and husband Brian) Bly of Crown Point, Indiana, and Kathleen Staninger of LaPorte, Indiana. Memorial services will be held in Grapevine, Texas, and Miller, Indiana, where her ashes will be interred. Friends and relatives are welcome. Time of memorials to be announced. Please leave the family condolences and share memories on this website.

Funeral Services have been entrusted to North Dallas Funeral Home

A Celebration of Life Service will be held

Saturday September 17,2022

2:00pm

North Dallas Funeral Home

2710 Valley View Ln,

Farmers Branch, TX 75234