Helen Hemingway McAllister

Helen was born 9/12/1935 in Pontiac General Hospital and grew up in Lake Orion, where her father was a contractor/carpenter and her mother a school teacher. Little sister Marcia joined the family in 1940, and Helen’s maternal grandmother shared their home at least six months of each year; many books were read, many crossword puzzles were completed, many Scrabble games were played in that household. Helen graduated from Lake Orion High School in 1953 and went off to Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1957. In July, 1959, she married Dudley McAllister. They were together 45 years, during which time Helen began her 30-year career as an instructor, then a director, at Pontiac Business Institute (1960), they bought the Sylvan Lake home in which they would reside the rest of their lives (1965), Helen earned a Master’s degree from CMU (1983), and began a second career as a real estate agent (1990s). And the two travelled extensively with the BMW Touring Club of Detroit throughout those years, Dudley on the bike and Helen in her sidecar, to BMW motorcycle rallies in many states. After Dudley’s death in December, 2004, Helen spent even more time volunteering with organizations who were interested, as was she, in beautifying her community and preserving its history: the Sylvan Lake Garden Club with its annual Ice Cream Social, the Sylvan Lake Home and Garden tours and the Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society. In 2016, Helen was the proud recipient of the Lifetime Volunteer Leadership Award by the Greater West Bloomfield Michigan Week Committee. Her wit and work will be greatly missed by those organizations with whom she volunteered, by the many friends she made through these organizations and by her neighbors in this city that was her home for 52 years. Her family is so very grateful for all of those loyal friends who drove her to doctors’ appointments, bought her groceries, laundered her clothes, watered her plants and buoyed her spirits through the past year—many, many thanks. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society, 3951 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, MI 48323 or Sylvan Lake Garden Club c/o Ann Nichols, 2342 Cheltingham, Sylvan Lake, MI 48320 or Waterford Central United Methodist Church, 3882 Highland Rd, Waterford Township MI 48328.