Parcourez la nécrologie de Helen Hunter Thursday July 27th 2023 résidant dans la province Ontario pour le détail des funérailles
Hunter, Helen Anne (nee Peck)
Helen was born June 23, 1924, in York County, Toronto to Walter and Annie Peck, who came from England. She had four older brothers, George, Arthur, John, and Fred so she was a very welcome addition to the family being the only girl. During the depression her family moved to King City in order to have a market garden to help sustain the family and earn income. Working in the garden was not her favourite chore but she did her part. Helen loved school and attended a two-room schoolhouse in King City. She became an aunt just at an age when she could babysit her brothers’ children and participate in the care of one nephew, George, who lived with them as a newborn into his toddler years while his mother recovered from illness.
Helen loved animals. Her brother Fred, bought her a dog she named Pat. Stories about Pat came to mind alot in her later years.
Once her family moved back to Toronto, she attended high school and then secretarial college. She was skilled in bookkeeping, shorthand, and typing and found work at the Arthritis Society, Jarvis Collegiate and in hospitals working as a highly competent medical secretary for various doctors.
She attended Jarvis Street Baptist Church along with her brother, George, where she came to know Christ as her Saviour and Lord. She was well grounded in Biblical truths under the preaching ministry of Dr. T.T. Shields and Dr. Slade. She served in the Sunday School and formed some great friendships with other young adults. Eventually she met her husband-to-be, Arthur Hunter, who had recently come from Belfast, NI. and lodged with the Hall family from the church. They were married on Nov. 6,1954. They both served in a church plant in Scarborough where they bought their first home. There they began to raise two children, Donald (1956) and Janet (1958).
A move to Brampton followed in 1964 where they lived until Arthur’s retirement in 1994. They both faithfully served for many years at Calvary Baptist Church. Helen worked as a Pioneer Girl Leader, Sky Force Leader, Sunday School Teacher, and spent her longest time of service leading the Toddler class. She used her hospitality gifting to the limit by hosting many in her home for delicious meals, short stays and by housing a few college students. She could be found in the church kitchen, cooking, serving, and cleaning up for every fellowship banquet. Helping those in need was also her gift whether it be by cleaning homes, doing laundry, babysitting, making meals or visiting. As a stay-at-home mother she served her children very well and worked meals expertly around Arthur’s changing shifts. She was never idle, and loved to try new supper meals, bake pies, cakes, cookies and butter tarts but did take some well-deserved time to read in the evenings. Her editing and typing skills were put to great use while Donald and Janet were in high school and university. She also typed many an essay for her son-in-law, Bill, too, during his seminary years.
Since Helen never had an opportunity to learn the piano, she encouraged her children to take lessons. Janet seemed to be particularly interested so sacrifices were made to get her to lessons at the RCM in Etobicoke and later, Toronto. For many years Helen would walk with Janet to catch the Gray Coach to get to the subway ending up at Bloor and St. George Str.
To make this a more inviting excursion, lessons were often followed by fun shopping trips to Eaton’s College Street before heading home on the coach.
Her patronage of the arts extended to her grandchildren as well! She was an integral support of their music lessons, instrument purchases, concerts, and recitals. Even when walking became difficult, Helen made the journey down to Toronto once again to support Whitney’s post-secondary pursuits. This was how she loved.
Travel was important to both Helen and Arthur so a small trailer was purchased to make camping more comfortable. Helen’s brother George would welcome family and friends to enjoy his cottage at Big Cedar Lake where many memorable gatherings were enjoyed. Family trips to Expo 67, PEI, New Brunswick, Ireland, England, Colorado, Ottawa, Quebec City and Florida were always highlights. Trips to Calgary were frequent as Don married a westerner, Darlene, and settled there to raise his family. Visits to see the grandchildren, Jeff and Leanne, were most important to them all. Joint trips with Janet and her family (Bill, Will and Whitney) along with Don’s family to MBC cottages, Moosonee, via the Polar Bear Express, and a houseboat expedition on the Rideau River were gifted by Helen and Arthur. Whenever Arthur’s relatives from overseas visited, Helen hosted them with pleasure and arranged for excursions with Arthur to help them all enjoy the sites. Other trips with family and friends included Hawaii, Australia, and Alaska.
Helen loved her time at Muskoka Baptist Conference at Mary Lake where she and Arthur had a larger trailer placed right next to some dear family friends, Kay and Jim Wilson. Kay, Helen and another neighbour, Dorothy, enjoyed many a game of Scrabble accompanied by lots of laughter and conversation over the many years they were there. Precious visits there with family and several church friends filled their summer holidays as did attending daily chapel services.
Helen and Art chose to spend their retirement years in Lindsay, not too far from some dearly loved nieces and nephews. After almost twenty years there, they moved to Greenway Retirement Home in Brampton in 2013 on the day of their 60th wedding anniversary. Helen was widowed less than two months later so living in such a community was most helpful. We had several family gatherings there including a 90th birthday celebration and a visit from her second grandchild, Isaiah Lars Grant, born to Leanne and Darren in Calgary on March 27, 2018.
Helen’s care needs increased leading to a move in October of 2018 to Wellington Terrace Long Term Care in Fergus. Janet’s in-laws also lived there so family visits and celebrations were somewhat easier. Helen embraced her new surroundings with gratefulness. She loved the view from her window and marveled many times how the Lord chose that room for her. Her window bird feeder provided better entertainment than the TV! She always complimented the food. The staff were terrific and Helen found several to be extra special in their tender care and cheerful demeanor. She often made them all laugh with her quick wit and humorous comebacks to their comments. The gazebo area overlooking a pond with swans and ducks was a favourite spot to just linger and gaze at God’s beautiful creation during the summer months.
Her first great-grandchild, Eila (Will’s daughter born on Nov 5, 2016), would brighten Helen’s day whenever she came with Janet. Unfortunately, the Covid restrictions in March 2020, limited inside visits and certainly made the last few years very challenging but window visits as well as outdoor summer visits were better than nothing! We spent time during our visits viewing photos of her expanding family as Jeff married Carly and more great-grandchildren came along: Arthur Ramiro Henderson on Aug. 9, 2018, Charlie Faith Henderson on Jan. 24, 2020, Paisley June Grant born May 6, 2020 and Caleb James Hunter born to Jeff and Carly on Oct. 19, 2022.
While Helen recovered from a bout with Covid in April of 2022, more cognitive and physical decline was evident. Her last year with us was more difficult as her pain and anxiety increased. Helen would often apologize when she was aware she was difficult to manage and frequently expressed thanks to her caregivers even up to her final day.
It was a privilege to hear Helen pray expressing her trust in our faithful, loving, and good God no matter what. When she was so sick with Covid she finished one prayer with, “We will wait to see what You are going to do.” She also prayed: “O Lord, how wondrous to be yours. What a day that will be when we see Him. The time will shall spend with Thee, how wondrous that will be! Keep us singing every day.”
We remember Helen as a woman of God who served her Lord faithfully and loved others in very practical and generous ways. She treasured time spent with extended family, her children and grandchildren and loved seeing her great-grandchildren even from afar. She greatly appreciated visits, phone calls and cards from family and friends through these final years.
Blessed are those whose strength is in You,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
till each appears before God in Zion.
Better is on day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere: I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
For the Lord God is a sun and a shield;
The Lord bestows favour and honour; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in You.
Psalm 84: 5-7; 10-12
Memorial service will be held at the Caledon Hills Fellowship Baptist Church on Thursday, August 3, 2023 at 1:30pm. Visiting and refreshments to follow. In lieu of flowers Memorial donations to The Canadian Bible Society or Caledon Hills Fellowship Baptist Church would be appreciated by the family.
A livestream of the Service will be available
A tree will be planted in memory of Helen in the Dods & McNair Memorial Forest at the Island Lake Conservation Area, Orangeville. 21st Annual Dedication Service will be held on Sunday, September 10, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.
Condolences may be offered to the family at www.dodsandmcnair.com
Thursday July 27th 2023
Décès pour la Ville:Orangeville, Province: Ontario
avis deces Helen Hunter Thursday July 27th 2023
nécrologie Helen Hunter Thursday July 27th 2023
Nous offrons nos plus sincères condoléances à la famille et aux amis de Helen Hunter Thursday July 27th 2023 et espérons que leur mémoire pourra être une source de réconfort pendant cette période difficile. Vos pensées et vos mots aimables sont grandement appréciés.