January 18, 1933 - February 20, 2024
In loving memory ~
Helen was born on the family farm near Carlyle, Saskatchewan and in later school years lived with her parents, Bill and Rhoda Hamilton, and older brother, Jack, in nearby Arcola. Childhood was idyllic, with stories of a pet pig, horse rides to get to school, earning her pilot's license, watching her dad fix every kind of machine. Her mom baked every day, knowing that someone would drop by and so she could welcome everyone. Compassion, giving, and community were the underpinnings of her life.
In 1951, Helen went to secretarial school in the days of shorthand, eventually becoming the first female official court reporter in Regina city court, typing up her notes in the evenings, until her marriage to William Strickland in 1965. Later, in Edmonton, she was secretary to the leader of the opposition, Grant Notley, for five years, times remembered with great fondness. As the Stricklands moved around Canada following Bill's job, Helen found employment in Winnipeg (working for Judge Trudel who was a magistrate at the St. Boniface Provincial Court), Vancouver, and then finally in Calgary where she retired from her job at Inland Cement. Helen and Bill eventually went their separate ways.
In 2006, Helen arrived in Nanaimo, possessions and two dogs crammed into her giant station wagon, to live on Kirsten Drive. She quickly got to know the neighbourhood, becoming the 'pop lady' who gave out orange pop on Halloween, sometimes even handing out over 200 cans in a night despite very few kids living in the vicinity. She was a dog person who left a water bowl at the bottom of her driveway, a good chance for her to meet everyone passing by, of course. In summer, her front door was always open, literally. She joined Altrusa, a club dedicated to supporting many projects anonymously. Every Christmas she did long shifts on the Salvation Army kettles. Because of her dad's interest in guns and machinery, Helen had her own gun collection and had purchased a Ford Mustang when they were first available. In time she refurbished it to its original condition and drove it for close to 50 years. It led her to the Mustang Club of Nanaimo. She was just a young girl in Arcola when her parents bought her a Wizzer, an early motorized bicycle to ride to school, which arrived in Nanaimo as well. In her 'spare time' she quietly managed to perform acts of generosity for the homeless and people living in poverty all around Nanaimo. She helped young people to stay in school. She delivered library books to shut-ins. She helped organize our Block Watch.
Her last two years were spent in comfort at Long Lake Chateau, where she found many new friends, new stories, and fertile opportunities to share her own. She would want to thank the excellent care she received at the Nanaimo Regional Hospital during recent years and the health care system all 'round.
She is survived by her niece Glenda (Greg) Blackmon, and her son Barry (Natalie Williamson) Blackmon; by her nephew Ron (Anne) Hamilton, step grandnieces Stacey (Kelly Harmsworth) Cairns, as well as Jamie (Kelly) Guertin and children from both of their families. She is predeceased by her Father, Mother and brother, and recently by her sister-in-law Eunice Hamilton.
Her ashes will be placed in the cemetery beside her parents in Arcola, which was the center of her universe.
If desired, donations in Helen's name could be directed to the Cancer Society.
Helen would want us to be kind to each other, give what one can, live in peace, and always vote.