Helen (Hnatiuk) Tostanoski, long time resident of Security, Colorado, passed away Feb 19, 2020 at 94. She was preceded in death by husband, Bill, her parents & siblings. She is survived by her children; Irene (Randy), Mike (Julie), Will (Mary) & her grandchildren; Nick, Sadie, Luke, Teddi, Andi, Torin, Sean & Bohdan. All her family will cherish her memory, as will her church family at St. Raphael Episcopal Church, her care giver, Lori Dominguez & countless others whose lives she touched & shared in so many wonderful ways.
Helen was born in Int’l Falls, MN on Oct 1, 1925. She graduated from Falls High in 1944 and attended the Univ of Minn. In 1946 she married Bill. In their lives together they lived in 7 states and 3 countries. All their travels brought them to Colorado, which has been home since 1966.
Helen lived a rich and full life. Singing was her passion. She sang in school and church choirs throughout her life. She was a charter member of Soli Deo Gloria in C Springs & with them performed at Reagan’s Inauguration, Carnegie Hall and in countless other concerts. She auditioned & was accepted into the Berkshire Choral Festival, where she traveled to England to perform at Canterbury Cathedral. She also sang in many Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.
As a proud Ukrainian, Helen continued many family traditions throughout her life. She made exquisite Easter eggs (Pysanky) & was known far & wide for her delicious potato dumplings (Perehe) & stuffed cabbage rolls (Holopsi).
Helen was a member of St. Raphael Episcopal Church for 54 years. She served many terms on the vestry & sang in the choir.
In addition, Helen worked at Widefield High School for 29 years as a paraprofessional in the library.
While Helen accomplished so much in her lifetime, her friends & family will always say that it was her wild sense of humor, compassion & contagious laugh that made her a truly special mother, grandmother & friend. She was always there to cheer on, comfort & support her children & grandchildren, but some of the best memories we have of her are the ones that showed how much she liked to have fun: Whitewater rafting at 80, hot air balloon ride at 84, ziplining at 89 (said she thought it would be more exciting), partying with Santa Clara University girls’ soccer team at 90 (left when the police came) & dancing 2 hours with a ballroom-dance instructor at 90.
A memorial service for Helen will be held at St. Raphael Episcopal Church, 802 Leta Drive, Security, CO on Tuesday, Feb 25 at 1pm. A reception celebrating her life will follow.
Helen’s family sends thanks to the many caregivers, staff, & hospice workers at Brookdale-Briargate for their compassionate & loving care. In lieu of flowers, we ask that contributions in Helen’s name be made to St. Raphael Episcopal Church or Macular Degeneration Foundation.
