August 1, 1939 - August 23, 2020
Helen passed away on August 23, 2020 peacefully in her home in White Rock. She died from complications of diabetes. Though she was coping with increasing health problems, she was out and about until a couple of days before her death. She is survived by her sister, Jean Miles, of Long Beach, California.
Helen was born in North Dakota on August 1, 1939. She had a difficult childhood, growing up in foster care in the Mount Vernon area in Washington State. After finishing High School, Helen supported herself by doing a number of jobs, from working in a forestry lookout station to becoming a nurses' aide in Washington State. She came North to the Lower Mainland of British Columbia and got a job driving a shuttle bus to the airport. She eventually managed to buy a van and set up her own business in the White Rock/South Surrey area.
Helen's unfailing good humor, her cheerful and friendly manner, endeared her to her friends and clients. Helen owned and operated Helen's Tours and Travel. Her big blue van was a familiar sight in the community. Many of our older citizens relied on her to get them to and from the airport. Some will remember the tours to places like, Harrison Hot Spring or Los Vegas, she operated in the past. It was her clients that kept her going all those years from Bellingham Airport- Vancouver Airport to the Cruise Ship Terminal...most greeted upon their return with her trademark hug!
Please look in on a neighbour if you haven't seen them recently. Thank you to the Neighbours who checked in on Helen.
Goodbye Helen...we will miss you!