Helen Violet Ewing

Our precious and loving Helen Violet Ewing, known to all as Vi or Aunt Vi, passed away peacefully in faith to be in Heaven on June 30, 2026. She was predeceased by her parents, Tekla and Christopher Smith; her husband, John Ewing; her brother, Robert Smith; her sister, Betty Solomon; her nieces, Valerie Cathro and Kathy O’Leary. She is survived by a loving network of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews, all of whom cherish wonderful memories of visiting Aunt Vi in California and exploring Disneyland and local attractions together.

Vi was born on July 14, 1929, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to immigrant parents from Germany and Ukraine. As the oldest of three children, she grew up on Alfred Avenue in downtown Winnipeg and graduated from Isaac Newton High School. Active in the Trinity Lutheran Church, she joined the Manitoba Luther League following her confirmation. It was here that she formed lifelong bonds with Dorothy (Metz) Daw, Margie (Felsch) Pomrenke, Velma Pomrenke, Annelotte (Moertelmeyer) Svendsbye, and Noreen (Klein) Polant. This inseparable group dubbed themselves the “Robins,” keeping in touch via round-robin letters for decades and traveling together during retirement.

In search of warmth and sunshine, Vi followed her best friend Dorothy to Los Angeles in her early 20s. She joined the First Lutheran Church Young People’s Group, where she built another enduring circle of girlfriends with Steffi Hux, Ricki Schierman, Marie Magargee, Glady Maybon, Dobbie Thurman, and their growing families. Watched over affectionately by Bud and Ethel Glazebrook, this social circle sparked several lifelong romances and marriages.

It was at First Lutheran that Vi met John Ewing. The couple married in Winnipeg on October 22, 1954. After briefly living in Los Angeles, they settled into their Pico Rivera home, where Vi would reside until 2020. Throughout her career, Vi worked for an insurance salvage company, the local school district, and ultimately as a legal secretary. Following John’s passing in 1987, Vi continued working until her retirement in the mid-1990s. Retirement allowed her to fully dedicate herself to learning through college courses and by travelling the world. Her adventures took her to visit family across the US, Canada, Germany, and England, as well as on tours through China, Israel, Egypt, Peru, Chile, Mexico, Africa, New Zealand, Spain, France, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Austria.

Vi was a woman of diverse talents and sharp wit. She loved the opera, theater, birding, cooking, and crafting. A voracious reader, she belonged to several book clubs and routinely read two to three books a week. She also delighted in daily crossword puzzles and cribbage—famously calculating cribbage scores from the license plates of passing cars.

In 2020, Vi moved to Huntington Landmark in Huntington Beach, where she became a frequent visitor of the Landmark library until later facing health and memory challenges. She was cared for dutifully and lovingly in her home by Maria Duran until her passing.

Vi’s capacity for love extended far beyond bloodlines to the families of her lifelong friends. This was beautifully reflected in her close relationships with Gary and Kathy Miller, Derek, Kathy, and Annie Daw, and Melanie Daw Matthews, alongside her many relatives who visited, called, and FaceTimed regularly. We are profoundly thankful for the gift of Aunt Vi’s life and friendship. We will always love you.