Helen Lilian Granger Young

Helen Lilian Granger Young O. M.

We wish to announce the peaceful passing of our Mother, Grandmother, Greatgrandmother, Aunt, Friend, and Artist with family by her side on Good Friday, April 7, 2023 at 100 years of age at the Grace Hospital, Winnipeg.

Helen will be lovingly remembered by her children Barbara (Lars), Scott (Debra), and Dale (Debbie), (Robert Longley) , grandchildren Christian, Kirsten (Michael), Lindsey (Sinisa), and Taylor (Angele), great-grandchildren Liam, River, Helena, Konstantin, Maci and Cooper, and many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by the love of her life, William Allan Young (2002), and her daughter, Deborah (2018), her parents Lewis Elmer Northgrave Granger and Martha Lillian Shelley, her sisters Irene, Barbara, and Madeline and her brothers, George and Jack.

Helen was born in Mimico, Ontario November 1, 1922. She was a precocious, artistically gifted free spirit from early childhood and passionate about art leading her to attend the Ontario College of Art on scholarship, studying under Charles Comfort, Franklin Carmichael (of Group of Seven) and Fred S. Haines, earning a diploma of Associateship of Ontario College of Art (A.O.C.A), majoring in portraiture and landscape painting. In her early career Helen was involved in commercial art and participated in Canada’s war effort producing technical drawings for the military, as well as, painting portraits of returning officers after WWII. She travelled by herself across Canada pursuing work and art exhibitions. Through family she met and married Bill (William) in Winnipeg in 1949. Together they raised four children. She continued to create her own art, teach, and mentor many Winnipeg artists.

In a career lasting more than seventy years, Helen Granger Young was a prolific and internationally renowned artist, producing an extensive body of artwork including portraits and landscapes in pastel and oil; sculptures in porcelain (North American Indian Series) and bronze monuments (in Winnipeg and Brandon, MB, Prince Albert, SK, and Brantford, ON) contributing to the cultural and historical fabric of Manitoba and Canada leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come.

Mom was beautiful, petite, quirky and feisty, driven to do her art and Dad was her biggest support, enabling her to continue creating. She was lucky to have such extraordinary purpose in life. Beyond all her accomplishments Helen was simply the best Mother, Grandma, Great- grandmother, Aunt and Friend to so many.

The service will be held on Tuesday, April 18, at 2:00 pm at Thomson “In the Park” Funeral Home, 1291 McGillivray Blvd.

Donations may be made to the Salvation Army or any charity of your choice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.thomsoninthepark.com for the Granger Young family.