About her

Helene Ryan

Born: April 29th, 1923

Passed on: April 17th, 2020

It is with great sadness that the family of Helene Ryan announces her passing in Windsor, Ontario, on April 17, 2020, twelve days shy of her 97th birthday. Truly a Renaissance woman, she was born on April 29, 1923, in Toronto, Ontario, to the late James and Dorothy Quarry (née Harkin). She was pre-deceased by her husband, Frank (2002), a native of Seaforth, Ontario, and her seven siblings: Claire (Roger Trudel), Vincent, Eleanor, Margaret (Bill Silcock), Betty (Bill Cavanaugh), Greg (Barb), and Pat (Walter Speagle), and in-laws Allan and Mary Ryan. Helene was the beloved mother of Paul (Helen), Maureen (Patrick Brode), Mary-Claire (Bill Nepotiuk), Kevin (Leslie), and D’Arcy (Nada). She was the proud Grandmother of Meghan, Brendan (Beth), Kate, Deirdre (Chris Andrechek), Anastasia, Talia, Alana, Camille, Brigitte, Anna, Aidan, Owen and Liam, and G.G. to Simone, Vivian and Oliver. She is also survived by sisters-in-law, Mary Gillespie (Ryan) and Barb Quarry, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Mom cherished memories of her youth as a younger sister in the large Quarry brood. Sunday afternoons meant a sing-along to the tune of the piano and fiddle; the sharing of dresses with five sisters left her with a life-long passion for shopping and fashion. She grew up on Caroline Street in downtown Burlington, excelling in both academics and sports. Following completion of high school, Mom commuted daily by bus to nearby Hamilton where she worked in the office of Bell Telephone. She spent many evenings dancing at the Brant Inn, on the shores of Lake Ontario or hitch hiking with sisters to Port Dover, to dance at the Summer Gardens. She often told us of rationing during the war and participating in the VE Day celebrations, at Gore Park, Hamilton. Her brother, Greg, brought Frank (“Sugar”) to Burlington on a long weekend from UWO, where they were both varsity track athletes. Despite a date having been pre-arranged with another of the Quarry girls, Frank was truly smitten with Helene. They married in 1951 and spent over 51 happy years together, raising a family and living life. While they were working, Mom and Dad usually set aside Friday evenings for a date night. Our mother was a gentle lady with a steadfast belief in the importance of faith and family. She lived life to the fullest, both accepting its adversities and enjoying its celebrations. She played piano by ear, sewed avidly and always had a great sense of style. She spent several years refinishing furniture and was an accomplished bridge player, who took great satisfaction in beating the men. Listening to music and singing were also life-long pleasures. She was also a long-standing member of the C.W.L. Like many women of her generation, Mom stayed home after marriage until her youngest child was in school. She then worked as a school secretary at both St. Anne’s and Our Lady of Lourdes School in Windsor for several years where she thrived and took great pleasure in her relationships with the staff and students. She continued to meet for lunch with a group of retired school secretaries, for many years after her retirement. We have special memories of spending summers at Bayfield with numerous visits from both Quarry and Ryan relatives, all happily organized and calmly overseen by Mom. While in her 40's, Mom obtained her driver's licence and tootled around Riverside/Windsor for a number of years, in her bright yellow Ford Pinto. A decade later, she attended night school at university for the first time and was immensely proud of the A's she received in her Art History courses. In her later years, Mom looked forward with great anticipation, to the annual visits of Barb Quarry from Dallas and the two of them would traipse off with brother-in-law, Walter, to either the Shaw or Stratford Festival, with lots of laughter and for many wonderful meals. Mom had been a resident of Amica Riverside since the summer of 2015, where she was very comfortable, happy, and considered it to be home. The day after Mom's passing, Amica circulated the following comments: “...This morning a resident who had earlier tested positive passed away. This resident had been in isolation in her suite with family by her side during her illness. It is a sad day at our residence. This resident was a much-loved and integral member of our community, and she will be greatly missed. She loved to take the newspaper each day and read it by a window overlooking the river. She was elegant, had a beautiful singing voice, loved to visit the salon, and was always gracious and kind to everyone including our Amica team members. ...” Many thanks to the staff on the 2nd floor of Amica Riverside for their kind care. We will miss you Mom, but know you are happy to be re-united in heaven, with Dad and your family. Cremation has taken place. A Mass of Christian Burial will occur at a later date.