Helen passed away on Canada Day after an especially long life. Her earliest memories were of soldiers coming back from the 1st World War.
Helen was born in Woodstock, Ontario, and lived in Ottawa until she married, at which time she moved to Alameda, California. She subsequently returned to Ottawa with two children in tow, took a job with the Civil Service and worked until her retirement twenty-five years later from the Ottawa Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection division. Helen had always been a hard worker who was well liked by her co-workers, so much so that their retirement gift to her was a paid trip to Vancouver on the “Centennial” train.
Helen lived in North Vancouver, near family, until moving to Salt Spring Island in October, 1992. A little cottage with a water view became her home until, sadly, she developed dementia and was admitted to Greenwoods Care Facility in 2001. Had Helen not been given such excellent care at Greenwoods, it is doubtful she would have lived for so many more years. She loved singing the old songs and, even with dementia, remembered all the words to many of her favourite songs.
When Helen was young she loved dancing and her three brothers, who have all predeceased her, played in the Berkley Kidd orchestra in Ottawa. Most of Helen’s close friends have also predeceased her.
Helen leaves behind a son, Wayne in Sacramento, a daughter, Beverley on Salt Spring, seven grandchildren, nine great grandchildren and one great, great grandchild. Her love of children showed with the special relationship she had with each of them.
Many thanks to the wonderful staff at Greenwoods, to her physician, Dr. Kalf, and to Holly Slakov, who attended at Helen’s passing. Helen will be sadly missed by all who knew her.