Helen Moreno Nunez's Obituary
Helen de los Angeles Moreno Nunez passed away peacefully at her Escondido home on April 20, 2026 at the age of 72, following a long and courageous struggle with Lewy Body dementia disease. Even as her health declined, Helen never lost her essence: she remained a beacon of kindness, compassion, and gratitude, always greeting the world with a smile and a heart eager to help others.
Born in Miami, Florida, to the late Angel Lupicino Moreno De La Pena and Nelia Aurora Aguilera Zuniga, Helen was a proud graduate of Miami High School and Miami Dade College. It was through her cousin and lifelong best friend, Mayra Sanz, that Helen met the love of her life, Ariel F. Nunez. They married on January 24, 1975, beginning a 51-year journey that took them from Florida to Georgia, New Jersey, and Connecticut, before finally settling in San Diego in 1998.
Helen’s life was defined by her devotion to others. She famously pivoted her career from accounting to child development, driven by her deep love for children. As a teacher and nanny, she became an honorary member of many families, most notably the Booth-Pineda, where she helped raise Max and Alex Booth from birth, loving them as her own grandchildren. Her bond with her granddaughter, Giselle Haun, was equally profound; the two were inseparable, sharing daily "coffee maker" trips to Starbucks and a lifetime of cherished memories.
A woman of deep faith, Helen served as a Eucharistic Minister and was active in Marriage Encounter with Ariel. She was also the life of every party. A walking encyclopedia of music, she loved everything from Cuban Latin to Doo Wop. She was a devoted Beatles fan—often playing the Help! album (Yesterday was her favorite song) at volumes that tested her mother’s patience—and could win any "name that tune" contest with ease. She also liked other artists such as Celia Cruz and Gloria Estefan.
Helen traveled the world with Ariel, but her favorite destination was always wherever her family and friends were. From her 6-week-old bond with Mayra to her laughter-filled friendship with "Lucy" Luz Bazain, Helen cherished every person she met on her journey. Until she lost the ability to speak, she expressed constant gratitude for her "life well lived" as well as having a loving family, many good friends and compassionate care givers. She truly embodied the adage of a life well lived.
Helen is survived by her devoted husband, Ariel F. Nunez; her children, Nelia Bella Nunez and Ariel Angel Nunez; her grandchildren, Giselle Haun, Max Booth, and Alex Booth; her beloved cousins Mayra and Mike; nieces Monica and Esther; and godson Raul Pozo. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Henry Moreno.
In honor of Helen’s lifelong devotion to children, the family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital http://events.stjude.org/helennunez
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