On Sunday September 25th, 2022, Helene Mann passed away peacefully after a short illness. Helene was born on November 20, 1926, in Vancouver BC, and moved to Toronto with her parents and two siblings in 1944. Playing tennis in Mimico ON is where she met Alexander (Alec) Douglas Mann and they married in 1949. Alec and Helene were happily married until 1991 when Alec passed away far too young. Her pride and joy were her four children Jeffrey (LeeAnn), Keith (Barb), Sandra (Bruce) and Andrew (Rita). Helene adored her 11 grandchildren (Katie, Jennifer, Jessica, Erin, Alex, Matthew, Lindsay, Gillian, Allan, Heather, Walter) and 9 great grandchildren (Jacob, Mason, Blakely, Emmeline, Betty, Josephine, Clara, Ben, Casey) as well as her nieces Jane Watt (Peter) and Gail Prins Visser and their families. She was predeceased by her brother Mike, her sister Tash, and her daughter-in-law Kelly.
Helene loved working with numbers and until having children she worked as a bookkeeper at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. As a full-time homemaker, she had many interests in addition to raising her four children. She was a sharp bridge player, and an avid gardener. As well as having a “green thumb” she had” golden hands”. She excelled at sewing, quilting, and knitting. Helene was also a fabulous cook and baker. Her pie making skills could not be matched although we tried. Everyone especially loved her butter tarts.
Helene and Alec lived in Hamilton, Toronto (Etobicoke), Burlington and Alliston over the years but her favourite place on earth was the family cottage on Dyson Lake in the Muskoka area (once she got over not living in BC that is). Alec and Helene bought the property in 1958 and built the cottage the following year. She loved the outdoors and would spend summers at the cottage with her children (and the family dog Cindy) with Alec coming up on weekends and for his vacation. Special friendships with cottage neighbours were formed and the families enjoyed many social gatherings together (and still do). She and some of the other young mothers could often be seen sitting on the beach, watching the children and knitting. Always active, Helene kept busy raking the beach, trimming the underbrush, growing her vegetables, picking raspberries, making jam or chili sauce, staining, refinishing, or working on some other project of interest. When resting, she would read the newspaper end to end with the radio on in the background (she was always interested in what was going on in the world and did not shy away from discussing politics). Once her children were no longer young, she spent her time playing bridge, curling, volunteering, and she enthusiastically pursued her crafts making many beautiful pieces of handiwork.
As Helene aged, she learned to accept her physical limitations with grace, and was thankful for what she could still do. At 95, she was knitting baby sweaters for great grandchildren, enjoying her flowering house plants, and going outside to sit by the Lake Ontario waterfront across from her retirement home. Visits from family continued to be a highlight in her life. Helene would remark during her recent birthday celebrations that she might not be around for the next one but that she had had a wonderful life. Thank you to the staff at Sunrise of Burlington and Joseph Brant Hospital for their excellent level of care.
A private cremation has taken place. A celebration of Helene’s life will be held next summer at or near Dyson Lake. Suggestions for donations in Helene’s honour are to the Canadian Cancer Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, or the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (Rosseau). We will miss you Mom/Granny/Auntie Helene and thank you for the wonderful life you have given us.On Sunday September 25th, 2022, Helene N Mann (nee Prins Visser) passed away peacefully after a short illness. Helene was born on November 20, 1926, in Vancouver BC, and moved to Toronto with her parents and two siblings in 1944. Playing tennis in Mimico ON is where she met Alexander (Alec) Douglas Mann and they married in 1949. Alec and Helene were happily married until 1991 when Alec passed away far too young. Her pride and joy were her four children Jeffrey (LeeAnn), Keith (Barb), Sandra (Bruce) and Andrew (Rita). Helene adored her 11 grandchildren (Katie, Jennifer, Jessica, Erin, Alex, Matthew, Lindsay, Gillian, Allan, Heather, Walter) and 9 great grandchildren (Jacob, Mason, Blakely, Emmeline, Betty, Josephine, Clara, Ben, Casey) as well as her nieces Jane Watt (Peter) and Gail Prins Visser and their families. She was predeceased by her brother Mike, her sister Tash, and her daughter-in-law Kelly.
Helene loved working with numbers and until having children she worked as a bookkeeper at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. As a full-time homemaker, she had many interests in addition to raising her four children. She was a sharp bridge player, and an avid gardener. As well as having a “green thumb” she had” golden hands”. She excelled at sewing, quilting, and knitting. Helene was also a fabulous cook and baker. Her pie making skills could not be matched although we tried. Everyone especially loved her butter tarts.
Helene and Alec lived in Hamilton, Toronto (Etobicoke), Burlington and Alliston over the years but her favourite place on earth was the family cottage on Dyson Lake in the Muskoka area (once she got over not living in BC that is). Alec and Helene bought the property in 1958 and built the cottage the following year. She loved the outdoors and would spend summers at the cottage with her children (and the family dog Cindy) with Alec coming up on weekends and for his vacation. Special friendships with cottage neighbours were formed and the families enjoyed many social gatherings together (and still do). She and some of the other young mothers could often be seen sitting on the beach, watching the children and knitting. Always active, Helene kept busy raking the beach, trimming the underbrush, growing her vegetables, picking raspberries, making jam or chili sauce, staining, refinishing, or working on some other project of interest. When resting, she would read the newspaper end to end with the radio on in the background (she was always interested in what was going on in the world and did not shy away from discussing politics). Once her children were no longer young, she spent her time playing bridge, curling, volunteering, and she enthusiastically pursued her crafts making many beautiful pieces of handiwork.
As Helene aged, she learned to accept her physical limitations with grace, and was thankful for what she could still do. At 95, she was knitting baby sweaters for great grandchildren, enjoying her flowering house plants, and going outside to sit by the Lake Ontario waterfront across from her retirement home. Visits from family continued to be a highlight in her life. Helene would remark during her recent birthday celebrations that she might not be around for the next one but that she had had a wonderful life. Thank you to the staff at Sunrise of Burlington and Joseph Brant Hospital for their excellent level of care.
A private cremation has taken place. A celebration of Helene’s life will be held next summer at or near Dyson Lake. Suggestions for donations in Helene’s honour are to the Canadian Cancer Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, or the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (Rosseau). We will miss you Mom/Granny/Auntie Helene and thank you for the wonderful life you have given us.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Helene N Mann nee Prins Visser Sunday September 25th 2022..
Death notice for the town of: , Province: Ontario