Helena K. Rutkowski

Helena was born on June 12, 1937, in Rawa Ruska, Poland, to John and Agnes Kunz, the fourth of seven children to be born to the family. As a young child, Helena, her parents, and her siblings, were imprisoned in various Nazi labor camps throughout Poland and Germany during World War II. Miraculously, all of the family members survived.

After the American liberation of the camps, Helena and her family were placed in a refugee camp in Amberg, Germany. After four years, the family was sponsored to immigrate to the United States by St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Fairfield, Montana, arriving through Ellis Island in July 1949. The family eventually settled in Great Falls, where Helena, to the horror of the nuns, used Popeye comic strips to learn English.

In her early twenties, Helena followed one of her sisters to New Jersey, where she would meet her future husband, Janusz “John” Rutkowski, at a Fourth of July picnic in 1961. Janusz claimed he fell in love with Helena at first sight and proposed to Helena numerous times during their courtship, where she finally accepted his proposals on New Year’s Eve that year while in New York City. The pair married in San Mateo, California, on May 26, 1962, and eventually settled in Westminster, where Helena lived for fifty years.

After being a homemaker for many years, Helena became an instructional aide in local schools where she lovingly assisted students who were having difficulties. As a parishioner at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Helena assisted with the sponsorship and relocation of two Polish families immigrating to Orange County, volunteered at annual parish festivals, and served as a Eucharistic minister. Later, Helena transitioned into local politics and community service, serving on the Westminster School Board from 1996 to 2004 and on the Orange County Grand Jury soon after.

Helena always had a smile on her face and a song in her heart. She lit up every room she entered with her outgoing personality and quick wit. She thrived on being the center of attention, often referred to and thought of herself as “The Queen,” and used her fiery, bold personality to always entertain those she knew and loved.

Helena is survived by daughters Danuta (Dana) Swanson and Kika (Tom) Cochran; beloved granddaughter Tiffany Drohan (Alec Sedlachek); sister Emilia Bomwell; brother John (Colleen) Kunz; nieces Krystyna Emilia, Barb Milstead, and Lorrie Osborn; nephews Stanley Sczyrek and Christopher Kunz; and great nephew Ethan Veitch; along with countless dear friends.

She was preceded in death by husband Janusz Rutkowski; parents John and Agnes Kunz; brothers Thomas and Kasimir Kunz; sisters Stella Kunz and Anne “Nuni” Israelski; and nephews Richard Rachwal, John Sczyrek, and Dennis Kunz.

To honor Helena’s memory, a funeral will be held at St. Bonaventure Catholic Parish in Huntington Beach on Friday, June 16, 2023, at noon. A live stream link will be available on the day of the service. Please visit https://www.stbonaventure.org then click on the live stream tab. All who knew and loved Helena are invited to attend to remember her wonderful life. The family has requested attendees to wear red, white, or blue to commemorate Helena’s love of being an American citizen.

In lieu of flowers, for family and friends so wishing, donations in Helena’s memory may be made to a Caritas Polska, the largest charity organization in Poland, to support Ukrainian refugees in Poland: https://caritas.pl/ukraine