Helen "Dolly" Berndt

Helen G. Berndt, affectionately known as Dolly, age 84, of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, passed away on March 25, 2025. Wife of the late Robert Berndt, and daughter of the late Charles C. Goodfellow II and the late Florence Crane Goodfellow, Dolly grew up with her two brothers, Charles C. Goodfellow III (wife Mary Goodfellow) and the late Geoffrey Goodfellow (wife Chris Goodfellow), as well as many aunts, uncles, and cousins in the town of Cranford, NJ, a close-knit community with many family ties.

Dolly attended Middlebury College in Vermont, where she met her first husband, the late Gordon “Chip” Thayer. They had two sons, Eric and Steve. Later, she married Robert Berndt, and she had her third son, Joe. Rob shared Dolly’s love for nature and gardening, and they made a good team, caring for one another, laughing together, working side by side.

Dolly worked for many years as an elementary school teacher, combining her love for children with her love for learning and teaching. She especially enjoyed her work at the Centreville Layton School in Chadds Ford, PA, where she could apply her creative and hands on approach and her unending patience to help students who “learn differently.”

Dolly loved life and loved the people in her life. Her warm smile and sparkling eyes, with just a hint of mischief, welcomed anyone who entered her home. She saw life as an adventure, whether she was taking a trip to Italy, enjoying a brisk walk along a nature trail, trying out a new recipe, or making cookies with her grandchildren. Her many passions included teaching, reading, gardening, and gourmet cooking. She valued moments of quiet, such as reading time, but also moments of social connection, hosting family events on a regular basis. If you spent time with her, you often got caught up in her passions, discussing decorating ideas, learning how to cook broccoli in just the right way, watching the bird feeder intently for the arrival of a hummingbird, listening to her make up stories about the wildlife you might see on a walking trip. She took in stray cats, and she would laughingly imagine what her cat might be saying in a little “cat” voice. Dolly looked out for the needs of her family and offered a sympathetic ear and whatever support necessary in times of difficulty.

Dolly is survived by her sons, Eric H. Thayer (wife, Sharon Thayer), Stephen A. Thayer (wife, Rebecca Thayer), and Joe C. Berndt (partner, Lindsay Nave); grandchildren, Sylvia Thayer DiCrescentis, Benjamin Thayer, Julia Thayer Magin, Rosemary Thayer, Sydney Thayer and Chip Thayer; and great-grandchildren, Isaiah Thayer, Corinne Thayer, Leonardo DiCrescentis, Eva DiCrescentis, and Carl Magin.

A celebration of Dolly’s life will be planned in the coming months. In lieu of flowers, you can make contributions to Centreville Layton School in Chadds Ford, PA. Website: centrevillelayton.org/giving/

Arrangements are by Grieco Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. of Kennett Square. (484-734-8100) To view Dolly’s online obituary and leave condolences for the family, please visit www.griecofunerals.com