Helen Joan (Larsen) West

Born on July 15, 1932, Helen Joan Larsen (West) was born to Esther and Svere Larsen. She liked to say, “Born in the Bronx and raised in Brooklyn.” She attended the Norwegian SDA Church. Helen took nursing and graduated from CUC with an RN degree after spending 2 years at Atlantic Union College. Her family moved down to Takoma Park, Maryland, so her father could take a job at the General Conference.

Upon graduating, Helen accepted a position as a nurse in the obstetrics and delivery ward at the Washington Sanitarium and Hospital (later, and more recently, called Washington Adventist Hospital (WAH). After, accepting to go on a blind date, Helen came back to her apartment declaring “first and last date with that guy”. They married on April 15, 1955.

In 1960, Helen and Charles, aka Chuck, West were presented with a beautiful, bouncing baby girl, they named Dana Lauren West. In 1962, they welcomed a fine sturdy baby boy they named James Lowell West. Their family was complete.

While at WAH, Helen worked her way up to head nurse of labor and delivery. A position she held for 19 years. At that point, she was burned out on obstetrics, and she put in a request to be head nurse at WAH’s low-income clinic…where she stayed for almost 10 years.

About this time, WAH announced they were closing the clinic. And, as she was pondering her next move, an opportune conversation led to her working as the office nurse for Dr. Roy Sandstrom. She’d known him at AUC, and she and Chuck were patients. She and Dr. Sandstrom worked side-by-side until he sold his practice to Dr. Nasreen Kango.

In 2004, she lost her helpmate of 54 years, Chuck, to a heart attack.

Finally, as she entered her 80s, Helen decided to retire. She moved in with Dana to keep her company. To keep busy, she crocheted, went to the library, met friends for lunch, and took walks around the neighborhood.

For decades, Helen played the piano in Sligo SDA Church’s children's divisions, often with Jim on her lap (when he was a toddler😊). She ended up in the Kindergarten Sabbath School where she played for over 20 years. Known as Miss Helen or the Piano Lady, she wiped tears and noses, and gave out hugs.

She will be missed dreadfully, but her children are secure in the knowledge they will see her again along with their father.

The family invites those who knew Helen to join them for Remembrance at Sligo 7th Day Adventist Church (7700 Carroll Ave, Takoma Park, MD 20912) on October 29, 2022 from 4-6 PM. Please use the entrance on Greenwood Ave.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude under the Helen Joan West In Memoriam tribute gift fund. Follow the link below to donate online or for information on how to donate by mail.