Helen Monica Parkins

29 September 1935 – 22 August 2025

Helen Monica Parkins passed away peacefully at Menno Home due to natural causes. Helen was born in Lewiston, Idaho, on September 29, 1935, the youngest of three siblings. Graduating from Seattle Pacific University in 1957, she married her husband Eugene Russell Parkins in June of that year.

Shortly after their wedding, in partnership with Eugene, they set off on a series of life-long adventures and Christian service to the central interior of Alaska, central British Columbia, southern Saskatchewan, and southern Ontario. After retiring in 1997, they settled in Abbotsford to be closer to family and to their points of origin in Idaho and Washington.

Helen was an accomplished musician. With a Bachelor of Music degree, she excelled at piano and violin performance, nurtured many musicians through musical collaborations and accompaniments, and taught private music lessons to countless students – many of whom went on to successful music careers. She was also an active member of Calvin Presbyterian Church, where she played violin and piano on a regular basis, including duets with her husband Eugene.

Helen also enjoyed many years sailing on the great lakes of Ontario and the Gulf Islands of BC, and camping in the tall forests of British Columbia and the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Much of this time was shared with her children and grandchildren. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother, spending endless hours with family, preparing meals and hosting family and friends in her home.

Helen is survived by her daughter Nancy (Mel), her son John (Michelle), her son-in-law Cam, her grandchildren (Patrick, Mitchell, Trevor, Caleb, Elena, Joshua and Maya) and her great grandchildren (Ethan and Natalie). She is preceded in death by her daughter (Vicky) and her husband (Eugene). In the final years of her life, Helen was supported at home by her husband. Following his death, she received continuing care from the staff at Menno Home, with frequent visits from family (Cam, Jean, and Elena) and friends in the Abbotsford area.

To celebrate her life, there will be a small family gathering at the Mount Lehman Cemetery in Abbotsford later this year.