Helen Lovitt Fleming Wickwire-Foster

Helen, the youngest daughter of James Leander and Marguerite (Brown) Wickwire, was a proud descendant of Captain Peter Wickwire, a New England Planter.

She attended Macdonald Consolidated in Middleton (now a museum) until the family relocated to Halifax in 1946. There she attended Tower Road, Gorsebrook, QEH, and Dalhousie University, graduating BA (History/English) in 1958. Later that year she boarded a Cunard Liner and crossed the Atlantic to attend St. Godric's Secretarial College, London, U.K. and became an editorial secretary in The Sunday Times (Thompson Newspapers) happily spending every available penny on London theatre shows and musical performances while weekends and holidays were spent backpacking throughout the UK and Ireland, making friendships along the way that lasted the rest of her life. In 1960 she secured one of four passenger berths in a cargo ship from Newcastle loaded with pig iron for Montreal, crossed the Atlantic once again and returned to Dalhousie U., graduating with a BEd in ’61. She taught two years at Ardmore Elementary School (now a park) in Halifax before moving on to Ontario to teach at Burlington High in Burlington, Ontario.

In 1964 she eloped with James Anthony Foster who was employed as a crop duster at the time and drove through Mexico and Central America to Managua, Nicaragua. She was married in Dario, Nicaragua. They returned to Canada in 1965 where she began her family and her three children were born in London, Ontario. Encouraged by her mother-in-law Mona Parsons Foster to explore different cuisines, she took several courses and eventually taught gourmet cooking for the London PUC. In 1977 she was a journalist for the Ingersoll Times and when the family moved to California she sub-edited part time for Methuen publishing. After a return to Kingston, Ontario she worked at a McDonald’s outlet where she was known as the "Balloon Lady". The family returned to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1980.

Helen worked with Elisabeth Mann Borgese at the International Ocean Institute at Dalhousie and in the Dal Ocean Studies Programme as a sub-editor. She joined Force Ten (MT&T) and wrote the first user manual for their computerized Dental Programme. Later she joined Film Nova Scotia (NS Film Development Corporation) editing and publishing their film guide while promoting the province internationally as a film location. The Scarlet Letter, The Little Kidnappers and scenes for the Titanic were some of the results for her and her team. She retired in 1996 as Film Commissioner.

Helen served as president of the Women's University Club in London, Ontario and the Women's Division of Dalhousie Alumni, in Halifax. Always content to have her hands in the soil she was a member of the Halifax Westmore Horticultural Society and enjoyed messing about in her garden or sitting in the shade with a mug of builder’s tea and good book in hand, contemplating the weeds. Once retired she spent holidays in Europe and the Far East to be with her family. In her 70s she explored Angkor Wat at dawn in Cambodia, ziplined through the tropical ravines of Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand, trekked through the Grottoes of Castellana in southern Italy, marvelled at the ruins of Pompeii and the caves in Matera. Her last memorable trip was to celebrate her 80th birthday when she and the girls toured Scotland in the hope that some of their Scottish ancestry would become more real.

Helen never lost her deep love of Nova Scotia and summers were always spent travelling with friends or family to the Annapolis Valley with an armload of books and a handful of lobster shears, to monitor the tides of the mighty Bay of Fundy from the porch of Cedar Cottage in Baxters Harbour.

“Garden Lady” will be greatly missed by her children, who were the greatest joys of her life: Peter James Wickwire Foster (Cristiana Marra) (Halifax), and daughters, Emily Jane Wickwire Foster (Halifax), Alice Marguerite Wickwire Foster (Toronto) and her adored grandchildren, Antonio and Isabelle Marra Wickwire Foster. She was predeceased in 2024 by her beloved sister Nancy Wickwire Fraser (Ontario).

Helen’s positive outlook was peppered with wry humour and quiet determination. The COVID years were spent trying to untangle the genealogical roots of her Wickwire, Fleming, Lovitt and Foster families from the 1600s and then back to the 1066s in northern France. The result was a printed document that she presented to her family.

She was a devoted mother, cheerful companion, passionate gardener, unabashed romantic and devotee of dark chocolate.

Helen died on September 17th following a prolonged argument with pancreatic cancer. Cremation has taken place. A private family interment will be held at a later date in Lower Horton Cemetery, where she will be buried within sight of the original New England Planter landing of the Wickwire family in 1760.

The family wish to extend their gratitude to the Palliative Care team at the QEII, as well as the EHS Paramedics and the Nurses of the VON for their excellent care and support.

In lieu of flowers, please treat yourself to a good meal and raise a glass in her honour.

Online condolences may be made at: www.jasnowfuneralhome.com