Heloise Dillon

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 12, 2007

NEW ORLEANS – Funeral Mass for Heloise Werner Dillon, of New Orleans, who died Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007, will be at 9 a.m. today at Greenwood Funeral Home, in New Orleans, formerly All Faiths Funeral Home.

Burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery under the direction of Greenwood Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 8:30 a.m. until time of Mass at the funeral home.

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Mrs. Dillon was born Feb. 27, 1918, the daughter of John Frederick and Ella Kempton Werner. She had three loves in her life, her Lord, Jesus Christ, her beloved family and music. In her late teens she was a featured singer many times on live radio in the Schramm’s Radio Showcase. She sang with the Tony Almerica Orchestra, but gave up a professional singing career to marry her sweetheart, John Edward Dillon, in 1937. Heloise and John were married for 32 years and had six children. In 1970 she joined the Sweet Adelines Chorus and brought music back into her life. For the next 35 years she entertained thousands with her melodic bass harmony in her barbershop chorus. To her fellow Sweet Adelines she was lovingly known as “Hellie “ with the great personality and eyes that would light up when she sang. She was a recipient of many awards including Sweet Adeline of the Year in 1993, Sweet Adeline Wall of Fame in 2002 and was among the first recipients of the Golden Circle Award in 2005. She was a devoted Catholic and daily mass communicate at St. Catherine of Sienna Church until her illness.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her ex-husband, John Edward Dillon; brother, Joseph Werner; and sister, Mary Ella Blum.

Survivors include her children, Patrick Dillon , Barbara Mayer and husband, Eddie, and Matthew Dillon and fiancé, Jeanelle Chachere, all of Metairie, Jack Dillon of Carriere, Darlene Christian and husband, Dennis, both of Natchez, and Debbie Wheeler and husband, Michael, both of Smyrna, Ga.; grandchildren, Tracey Rader and husband, Ronnie, both of Mandeville, La., Mark Dillon and wife, Michele, both of Round Rock, Texas, Michael Mayer and wife, Tina, both of New Orleans, Leslie Killian and husband, Paul, both of Metairie, Heather Christian of Brooklyn, N.Y., Colin Christian of Shreveport, La., Jeri Wheeler, Patrick Wheeler and Kristen Wheeler, all of Smyrna, Ga.; seven great-grandchildren; brother, John C. Werner and wife, Ethel; a number of nieces and nephews; and her devoted neighbors and friends, Buddy Brown and wife, Cheryl, and Carl Illing and wife, Tina.

Heloise loved her Lord, her family and her many musical friends. She will be greatly missed.

Heloise’s family is very grateful for the loving care shown to their mother by her caregivers, Josie Santora, Joan Gray, Sister Silvia Gurrusquieta, Mother Silvia Juarez and Sister Alicia Rios of the Sisters of the Servants of Mary. Also for the nursing care of the Odessey Hospice Center especially nurses Susan Tauzan and Kathlleen App; volunteer, Susan Dupree and her doctor, Dr. Christopher Naquin.

Pallbearers will be her grandsons and sons-in-law.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the Sisters of the Servants of Mary, 5001 Perlita St., New Orleans, LA 70122.

To view or sign the family guestbook, visit www.greenwoodfuneralhome.net.