Inova Loudoun – Leesburg
Mrs. Helen J. MacIntyre, 95 years old, grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. After graduating from Nashville Business College in 1933 she went to visit her sister in Washington DC and never went back to Tennessee.
She took the civil service test and held her first of many government jobs as a secretary for the Bituminous Coal Commission, followed by working for the Attorney General, Department of Justice and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In 1943, she married C. Franklin MacIntyre. She followed her Sergeant husband to Eglin Field to be with him during the war, putting her career on hold. When the MacIntyres returned to D.C., Mrs. MacIntyre went back to the FDA then on to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) where she worked as a secretary to three Federal Air Surgeons. She retired after 42 ½ years with the government. One of her former bosses writes “your retirement from FAA was a major loss for the Office and the people who worked there, not only because of your expertise, but because of your strong personality. You added spice and flavor that made the Office an interesting place to work.”
Mrs. MacIntyre has a passion for history. For over 30 years, she and her husband were instrumental in saving Claude Moore Park located in Sterling, Virginia. They researched and established historical significance and recommended that Loudoun County buy the property where the park is located. The MacIntyres also saved what remains of Vestals Gap Road, a colonial roadway used by George Washington and General Braddock. This route was the preferred road to travel from Alexandria to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the 18th and early 19th century. For her work in this matter, she was awarded a Resolution of Commendation from Loudoun County.
Since 1982, Mrs. MacIntyre has also been a member of Cameron Parish Chapter of The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and was Chaplain for the organization for a number of years. She continues to help others and be a vital force within the community where she currently resides.
Mrs. Helen J. MacIntyre is a resident of Inova Loudoun Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Leesburg where she has resided since March 2012.