Rea Edna Hellier
December 11, 1928 – December 7, 2022
REA EDNA HELLIER
December 11, 1928 – December 7, 2022
Rea Edna (Smith) Hellier was born December 11, 1928, the fourth child of 10 children to Andrew and Violet (Higdon) Smith of Dildo, Newfoundland. She married Robert (Bob) Hellier and they moved to the new Gander airport site in 1947 where Bob worked as an Aeradio operator on the Armyside. They lived in converted military barracks known as Buildings 7 and 132 before constructing a house on Memorial Drive in the new townsite.
Together, they immersed themselves in the rapidly growing community. They made it their home, a place they helped build and loved. Volunteering became a way of life. In 1963, Rea was one of 22 founding members of the Masonic Ladies Association. She was a long-time member of the Ladies Auxiliary of The Royal Canadian Legion and The Fraser Road United Church Auxiliary. She knit hundreds of items of baby clothes and finger puppets for the James Paton Memorial Hospital where, for 15 years, one evening a week, she delivered chocolate bars, Dixie cups and magazines to patients. Another evening of the week, she volunteered at the Food Bank, first in a garage by the Catholic rectory and then at the Signals building. She was recognized for her gift of time by The Canadian Red Cross Society. Rea remained active in the Masonic and Legion until 2009 when she left Gander for Nova Scotia to be nearer her daughters.
If a friend or neighbor was ill or in need of comfort, Rea was soon at their door with a pot of home-made soup. She was a natural cook, renown for her bread. She was curious, thoughtful, hard-working, and determined. She enjoyed the challenge of game shows and never missed the news. She loved a game of cards, took pride in her appearance, and valued old things. Her memory was amazing, right up to her passing.
Rea’s activities belied her serious health issues. All her life, she struggled with asthma and her parents despaired she would not survive childhood. It is extraordinary that she lived four days shy of her 94th birthday. She died peacefully on December 7, 2022, of complications from a fall. She was predeceased twenty years ago by her husband, Bob, in 2002, and by her sisters, Florence and Dulcie, and brothers, Gerald, Larry, Verd and Lendo. She is survived by sisters, Alma and Hilda, and brother, Albert.
Left with tremendous memories are her children, Gloria (Carl Brown), Janice (Keith Wallace), Debbie (Kevin Pike), Robert (Caroline Urbanski) and Tammy (Gary Blyth), and her 10 grandchildren, Carla (Bob), Tracy, Kraig (Kirstie), Stuart, Rea (Gary), Dan (Allie), Mandy (Dan), Amber (Garrett), Declan, and Rory (Sayana). To her delight, she had 13 great-grandchildren, Mel, Russell, Owen, Tyler, Gabrielle, William, Robert, Evelyn, Jakob, Ruby, Stella, Freya, and Kiera.
A celebration of life will take place this summer with a family reunion in Gander.
December 11 1928 December 7 2022
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Rea Edna Hellier December 11 1928 December 7 2022 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
Death notice for the town of: Dartmouth, Province: Nova Scotia