Helen Mary Oakey was born November 24, 1930 in Oak Park, Illinois. She was the oldest child of Helen (Linden) Oakey and William Oakey, and alternated between ringleader of the Oakey pranksters and taskmaster trying to help her mother keep them in line. Helen went to grade school at Ascension Catholic and graduated from Mother Guerin High School. After high school she worked as a legal secretary in Chicago.

On August 25, 1956, Helen married Robert Hudson in Oak Park. She returned with him to Los Angeles, where they raised their family. Helen and Bob had eight children: Robert Jr. (d. 1962); William Hudson; Kathy (Joe) Hodges; Kevin (Diana) Hudson; Matt Hudson; Maureen (Dennis) Dougherty; Sharon (Brad) Hudson; and Karen (Jason) Hudson McNary. Helen loved to cook and bake, and she always put her love for her family into her food. Continuing what her children perceived as the great Oakey tradition, when her own band of pranksters started a water fight or other mischief, Helen could generally be found holding her own in the thick of it.

For many years she was active in charity work with St. Joan of Arc Church, because it was important to her to help other people in need. She will always be remembered for her playfulness, her generosity of spirit, her bright smile, and her easy laughter. Helen passed peacefully at home on September 8, 2017.

She is survived by seven of her children; her seven grandchildren (Dyanne, Dennis, Melisa, Alice, Robert, Megan, and Addie); her two great-grandchildren (Pantera and Gambit); her brother Jim Oakey of Baltimore, Maryland; her brother George Oakey of Chicago, Illinois; and her sister Pat Mullen of Denver, Colorado. In lieu of flowers, Helen’s family ask that you make donations to the Uganda AIDS Orphan Children's Foundation (UAOCF.org, or by mail at P.O. Box 64485, Los Angeles, CA 90064). A memorial service for Helen will be held on Saturday, October 14, at 10:00 a.m. at Saint Joan of Arc Church (11534 Gateway Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064). A reception at the St. Joan of Arc Parish Hall will immediately follow the service.