Helen was born at Seattle General Hospital, a twin with her sister Ruth. Their brother, Wilfred was three years older and sister Nancy was three years younger. Their father Vernon Daly was born in Ireland and immigrated to Canada. Their mother, Helen Miekel (Watt) Daly was born in Scotland and immigrated with her parents and five older brothers to Vancouver Island. Their parents met on Vancouver Island and after marrying, moved to Seattle Washington.
Helen grew up in West Seattle, attending Lafayette elementary, James Madison Junior High and West Seattle High Schools (class of ‘41). Her favorite childhood memories included the summers she spent at Firbrae Farm on Vancouver Island, her uncles’ dairy farm. Her mother and the children would take a ship to Victoria and the children would help with farm duties. Helen always loved animals.
Religion was a very important part of Helen’s life as her paternal grandfather was a Presbyterian minister. Her family attended Tibbetts Methodist Church in West Seattle until after high school when she began attending the First United Methodist Church in downtown Seattle. She sang in choir at both churches and joined a young adult group at the downtown church. There she met her husband, Joseph DeVaux, who had just returned from Europe as a soldier in World War II. They married July 9, 1948 and celebrated 75 years of marriage together on July 9, 2023.
Helen was a loving and talented homemaker. She loved to bake and always kept a full cookie jar. She sewed clothing, knitted hats, and baby clothes, made handmade quilts, and became a prolific painter of oil paints. She was an avid gardener with many flowers and berries and an apple tree in the yard.
Helen loved being a mother to her three children and enjoyed taking care of her seven grandchildren. She always read to them and later volunteered at the elementary school, helping other kids learn to read. She also volunteered for 10 years at the food bank in Des Moines.
Helen lived in West Seattle until she and Joe moved to Wesley Holmes in Des Moines in 1998. They lived there for 25 years, until Joe passed away in July of 2024, less than two weeks after their 75th anniversary. Helen then moved to the Arbor at Wesley at Tehela in Bonney Lake, where she celebrated her 100th Birthday and lived the last eight months of her life, usually with a smile.
She is survived by her three children, Daniel DeVaux (Toni) from Lake Tapps WA and Casa Grande AZ; Nancy DeVaux, Friday Harbor; and John DeVaux (Connie Dewitt), Lake Tapps; as well as seven grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren, soon to be 11.
All are welcome to sign the online guestbook below and add any messages or stories for the family.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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