Helen Anita Blair Bray

      While it is possible to receive good counsel from a wide circle of family and friends, few could do it with the skill and aptitude of Helen Anita Bray. She had a true talent for helping others reach their full potential and brought out the best in those who sought her help. Helen was a forward-looking woman whose personality was filled with empathy toward everyone she met. She could be quiet and reserved, but her style of communication was authentic and direct. An excellent communicator, Helen was a master at using imagery when she explained her ideas and concepts. She seemed to have an endless supply of innovative concepts and strategies for how to help those around her. Her sensitivity, kindness and generous attitude made her a wonderful friend for all who knew her.

      From the time she was born on October 11, 1928, Helen showed a deep concern for others. She was a giving and caring individual, ethical and full of integrity and warmth. Helen came into this world at at home on the farm in Beckwith Twp. ON. Her parents were John and Ida Blair. Helen was raised in Beckwith and Carleton Place, ON.

      Because fellowship was so important to her, Helen promoted harmony with her siblings. She was raised with 2 half-siblings, much older than her, who had left home before she was born. She became close to them in adulthood. She had an older half-brother, Ira and an older half-sister, Sibyl. Helen was something of the family diplomat. She helped to settle problems and conflicts and kept the family running smoothly.

      As a young girl, Helen interacted well with other children. She was helpful. She was an independent person who had a vivid imagination. Helen had a number of interests in her youth. In her spare time she liked to read and dress up the barn cats.

      A good student who was enthusiastic about learning, Helen was considered by many to be a high achiever. She graduated from Carleton Place High school in 1945.

      Able to maintain a positive focus on the potential good to be found in others, Helen was always ready with solid advice and guidance to offer her group of friends. She was generally friendly to all who knew her, yet to some she seemed quite independent. For those who really knew Helen, they recognized that she could be full of surprises. Helen enjoyed a small but solid group of true friends. She would willingly support those friends when they needed it. Because of her ability to read people, she had an uncanny knack for knowing when a friend needed help. While growing up, some of her best friends were Clarence and Neil Lewis, her nearest neighbours. She later became and remained lifelong friends with K. Simms, Betty Lewis (Neil), Roy and Iola Bates, Doug and Jean Collier, and Gordie and Joy Stewart.

      Helen was completely devoted to family and friends, able to show her emotions without going overboard about it. On April 14, 1951 Helen exchanged wedding vows with Stanley Alfred Chipman Bray at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church of Carleton Place, ON.

      All who knew her would agree that Helen was devoted to her family. While she could be a firm disciplinarian, she had the utmost respect for her child. Helen was always a mentor who helped her family reach its full potential. Helen was blessed with only one child, her daughter, Norma. She and Stan were also blessed with one grandson, Bryan.

      Helen projected a subtle but positive influence in her workplace. She was comfortable working behind the scenes to help everyone get their job done, and she worked hard at all times to help others to reach their highest potential. While her colleagues did not view her as a high-spirited type, Helen was effective at working with others to gain acceptance for her ideas. Helen could be a perfectionist at times, but wasn’t one to seek out personal recognitions. She possessed excellent insight and a strong ability to meet schedules. She was an innovator who worked well independently, and she enjoyed the task of meeting a constant array of challenges. Her primary occupation was as a Homemaker. Before her marriage she worked at the Bank of Canada in Ottawa, and afterward at Consolidated Paper in Montreal. When Norma was in high school Helen went to work at Welcome Wagon Ltd. Until her retirement at the age of 65.

      As an imaginative and inventive person, Helen was comfortable showing her creative spirit. She enjoyed her leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. Once Helen took on a new project, she saw it through to its completion. Her favorite pursuits were shopping, driving and playing bridge. She always offered to drive others to events and appointments. She sewed many of her own clothes, crocheted several afghans and kept a quilting frame in her basement. She was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

     Helen was a person who enjoyed helping others.. Her ability to encourage others, energize the group and her ability to solve all sorts of problems made her a desirable member of a group. For at least fifty years, Helen was an active member of her church, in Dorval and then in Willowdale.

      Helen's attitude of working to make every day better was a way of life for her. It was a philosophy that she carried into her community activities and service. She volunteered for the Canadian Cancer Society, selling daffodils and she drove for Meals on Wheels.

      Helen was a woman with clear convictions and high principles, and her faith was important to her. She was an inspiration to many people who recognized her sense of commitment and esteem for others. She was both baptised and married in St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Carleton Place. After her marriage she became a member of St. Columba by-the-lake Presbyterian Church in Dorval, QC, then from her move back to Ontario, Willowdale Presbyterian Church. As a young woman, she was involved with the Protestant Girls' Club in Ottawa. Later, she became very active in the Women's Association (WA). Helen was Kitchen Convenor at Willowdale for many years.

      As someone who treasured harmony and quiet, Helen accepted retirement in 1993 and made the most of it. In retirement, she stayed active in church activities, belonged to two bridge clubs and took great pleasure in spending time with her grandson, Bryan.

      Helen passed away on January 3, 2017 at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, ON. Helen lived with many physical ailments, quietly and with stoicism. She is now at peace, free from suffering. She is survived by her husband of more than 65 years Stan; her daughter Norma Draper (John); her grandson Bryan (Sarah). Services were held at Thompson Funeral Home in Aurora, ON. Helen will be laid to rest in Dewar Cemetery in Ashton, ON.

      Though she could be a private person at times, Helen was always able and willing to give of herself. She was so in tune with others that she often seemed able to read their minds. Helen carried with her an almost mystical sense of life. She was a person who was highly original in her thinking and used metaphors and symbols to describe many aspects of her life. A poetic, intuitive “teacher”, Helen Anita Bray shared herself freely and family and friends will remember Helen for the strength of her convictions.

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Helen Bray

1928-2017

Passed away peacefully at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket on Tuesday January 3, 2017 at the age of 88. Helen leaves behind her beloved husband Stan, daughter Norma and son-in-law John, and cherished grandson Bryan. Fiercely determined even to her last breath, she will be greatly missed and remembered for her quiet strength, loving spirit and compassion for others. Helen's family wishes to thank the wonderful people at the Hollandview Trail Retirement Community and Southlake for all their kindness and support. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at the Thompson Funeral Home (530 Industrial Parkway South, Aurora) on Saturday January 14, 2017 in the chapel at 1:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, in memoriam donations made to the Southlake Palliative Care Unit would be appreciated by the family.

On line condolences may be made at www.thompsonfh-aurora.com.