Helen Dohanos Holmes

Helen Allison Dohanos Holmes passed away at the age of 106 on February 4, 2015. She was born in Mount Vernon, Ohio on October 8, 1908 to Alfred and May Allison. She had three brothers, Robert, Wilbur and Jack.

Helen had an interesting life and loved to tell about it. She had many stories about her early life and ornery brothers, especially Jack. Her whole life was a wonderment to her; she always wanted to “see what would happen next.”

As a baby, Helen contracted ‘infantile paralysis’ (polio), and had a weakened leg because of it. It never held her back from doing all the fun things kids do. She had lots of friends and sorority sisters in Lorain.

Helen Allison met Bert Charles Dohanos in 1933; after a romantic whirlwind courtship they eloped, which surprised both their families. Within a few months, Bert was diagnosed with tuberculosis, cutting his navy career short and causing a move to the west for his survival.

Helen and Bert started on a whole new adventure out west in 1936; they were sent to live on a small ranch in New Mexico for his health, then to El Paso, Texas. He lived another fourteen years.

Helen and Bert had three children: Patricia, Robert, and Evelyn. When Bert passed away in 1951from TB complications, Helen had a difficult time coping with three young children and widowhood. Her mother and father moved to El Paso to help her.

Helen always talked about her experience working in a lovely jewelry store in Lorain, and then suddenly needing to learn how to look after a sick husband and run a small ranch and ride horses. Eventually they bought a run-down house in El Paso and made it beautiful; the local paper had a very nice article about the transformation.

In 1956 she was blessed to meet and marry James Edward Holmes, who brought his daughter Joy Elaine to add to the family. Because Jim was a civil service worker, they had several moves: to Roswell, New Mexico; and then Lebanon, Missouri. Jim brought new adventure to her life; they had lots of fun traveling and meeting new people and seeing new things.

Helen liked to paint beautiful pictures, and Jim liked to do woodwork; for a time they had a partnership with other artists in Lebanon and had a small gallery and studio, called “Artists Eight”, where Helen sold many beautiful paintings.

Her daughter Pat and her family lived in Riverside since 1957; son Bob moved here too. In 1982, after a terrible winter in Missouri, Helen and Jim decided to move to Riverside after his retirement, and found a lovely home in Highgrove where son Robert and his family were living at the time. Soon they were involved in church and the Reid Senior Center, helping and entertaining. She loved to recite poems and also wrote stories she would tell at Christmas. A natural musician, Helen could always sing and accompany herself on the piano. Jim also had a nice voice and would harmonize in song, whether gospel or popular music, and often sang duets at church or at Reid Center. Their favorites were “How Great Thou Art” and “The Hawaiian Wedding Song”. She and Jim always were very active in their church on several levels, very spiritual and devout.

Daughter Evelyn moved to Riverside in 1987 and lived near Mom and Dad, where she would help out as needed. When Jim passed away in 1994 Helen missed him terribly. Helen’s children rallied to look after all her needs so that she could remain at her beloved home in Highgrove as long as possible. Her dogs Freeway, and later, Buffy, were beloved companions to her.

‘Helen’ means ‘Light’ and she was blessed with a sunny disposition which served her well during all the difficult times. Full of love for life and people, she always found ways to help others. Her talents were many, including painting, sewing, composing stories and poems, her beautiful soprano voice; she was a devoted gardener and especially loved her lemon tree. Every once in awhile she would want ‘to go somewhere’ and coerce Pat and Evelyn to go on a trip together; she chose Sequoia National Park, Huntington Gardens, Living Desert, Morro Rock/Hearst Castle. She was our Energizer Bunny, hard to keep up with. Wal-Mart was an absolute favorite place to go.

She had an independent spirit, and was able to stay at her home till age 103 with the help her Grandson David and Caregiver Jewell Turner, but she fell out of her wheelchair while putting groceries away; her hip was shattered. That was the beginning of the end to her long journey and adventures. She never could return home, staying at Granddaughter Linda Lawyer’s home for almost a year, then at nursing homes till she passed away.

During her last year at Community Care and Rehabilitation Center, she would burst into song with “You Are My Sunshine” (not quite soprano, but charming) to the delight of the residents and staff.

She is survived by her children, Pat Stewart of Riverside; Bob (Ginger) Dohanos of Medford, Oregon; Evelyn (Dee) Morgan of Winnsboro, Texas; and Joy Fazzaro, of Fort Wayne, Indiana; also nine grandchildren – Debra Page, Linda Lawyer, Wendy Myers, Mike Boggs, David Boggs, Kenneth Dohanos and Krista Dohanos, Matthew Fazzaro, Jon Fazzaro; and many great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.

Her many friends and family will miss her sense of humor and happy smile very much. All of us have stories about Helen/Mom/Grandma/Friend.

We will always think of her as the Sunshine Girl, and listen for her song, “You Are My Sunshine”.