Helen Josepha Graham

Born November 7, 1943, Inverness County, Nova Scotia

Died May 24, 2021, Toronto, Ontario

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our loving mother Helen Josepha Graham of Hawthorne in her 78th year. Helen passed away peacefully in her home, with family at her side, on May 24, 2021. Born on November 7, 1943, in Inverness County, Nova Scotia, she was the daughter of the late John S and Katie Eugene (MacIssac) Gillis, whom she adored. She took great pride and care of her father who passed away in 1962 in the family home in Hawthorne. Helen was predeceased by her devoted husband, Alexander “Gillis” Graham of Judique, NS. They were married for 48 years and lived together in Toronto. Helen is survived by her loving sons, Roger (Monette), Burlington, ON, and Mark (Nadia), Barrie, ON, both of whom she was very proud of. Helen immensely loved her beautiful grandchildren Brett, Natalie, Mya, and Lauren. She is also survived by her sisters Mary (Tom) Campbell of Detroit, Elaine (Sammy) Mombourquette of Halifax, Marge (Leslie) Graham of Judique, and her brother Archie (Edith) Gillis of Judique. Besides her parents and husband, she was predeceased by her brothers Neil (Helen) Gillis and Donald (Marie) Gillis, infant siblings John and Marie, half-sisters Christine MacGilivary, Jean Hannah, and Catherine Gillis, half-brother Archie Gillis, sisters-in-law Claudia Graham and Mary (Jerry) Cross, brothers-in-law Leslie Graham and Gerald Graham, niece Suzette Mombourquette and nephew Johnny Gillis. Helen treated her many nieces and nephews as her own children. They will miss her dearly along with many cousins, neighbours, and friends.

Helen welcomed everyone into her home and treated them to an abundance of food and drinks. Anyone that met her felt her love and reciprocated it. Helen's passion was her grandchildren. She was their biggest fan, rarely missing a hockey game, baseball game, football game, or gymnastics competitions. Fellow parents and kids from those sports clubs welcomed her with open arms and she was a friend to all. Helen volunteered with the Special Olympics when it was hosted in Toronto. She loved to watch hockey, baseball, and golf. Helen started and coordinated a community-based fitness program with some of her closest friends (Lillian Paiano, Anne Maclean, and Marie Zanin), and she worked out twice a day, four days a week, for the last 25 years, befriending all of those involved.

Helen graduated from the Mabou Convent. In Toronto, she worked at Marsh Mclennan, corporate insurance, as an Assistant Vice President for her whole career. Helen was dedicated and hardworking, starting work 3 hours before her start time every day. She loved nothing more than showing off her kids to her coworkers within her office, followed by a lunch downtown.

On behalf of her family, we would like to thank and acknowledge the Cancer Clinic at Humber River Hospital for treating mom with care and compassion. Thank you to the doctors, nurses, and personal support workers from St. Elizabeth Home Care for taking such great care of mom. A special mention to Lynn Penton (nurse practitioner), Jessica Dang, and Lindsay Baerg (home care palliative nurses).

We would like to extend our thanks and appreciation for the tremendous support from our family and friends that helped us through this journey.

In lieu of flowers, we kindly ask for donations to the Canadian Angelman Syndrome Foundation, an organization she always supported.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.