Helen C. Self

Helen C. Self, 90, passed away Monday, March 9, 2015, exactly 19 days from the passing of her husband, Dan, her true soul mate and the love of her life. Their love story, from the beginning to the end, has given us all a renewed faith in the power of the mind, body and spirit, a sense of optimism, and a reason to smile and celebrate.

A graveside service will be held at 2:00 p.m., today at Westminster Gardens Cemetery, 3601 Whitehurst Road, Greensboro, NC 27410, with the Reverend Pam Strader officiating.

Born October 6, 1924 in Birmingham, Alabama, Helen grew up with two sisters, Kate and June. Remaining extremely close by anyone’s standards, the three girls became affectionately known as The Golden Girls, a not-so-subtle reference to the popular TV show by the same name. The similarities between the TV characters and “our” girls were frequent topics of conversation at family gatherings. Always the “Tom Boy”, red-haired Helen was not easily intimidated by anyone and was never one to back down from a verbal or a physical challenge. In fact, at the ripe old age of 16, she participated in a school bus fight with a neighborhood boy, only to be interrupted by the gallantry of an “outsider”, an older boy, known as Dan Self. Their love story began….

Following their marriage May 6, 1944, Dan and Helen found their way to Spartanburg, SC and eventually to Greensboro, NC, where the Selfs nurtured a rich family life that consisted of a passion for golf and the sports-enriched lives of two young boys. Together the family touched many lives and exemplified the unconditional love of the family bond. Without question Helen and Dan gave their sons the gifts of love, compassion and respect for people as well as animals, exceptional kindness and generosity. Always the animal lover, Helen and the family were never without a dog, particularly Dachshunds. She was known to nurture wildlife as well, including squirrels, birds, and especially the ducks that called Forest Oak Country Club home. It was not at all uncommon to see 10 to 20 ducks and geese in the yard, all completely relaxed and, quite fat. Bird watching and feeding became another interest of Helen’s, creating an on-going battle with the resident squirrel population. Never one to tolerate the inhumane treatment of any animal, even the “wretched” squirrels, Helen insisted Dan trap the offending creatures and re-locate each one to nearby Hagan Stone Park, not without a few choice words from Dan.

As a member of West Market Street United Methodist Church since 1959, Helen’s faith in God was very strong. Together, Dan and Helen formed many meaningful friendships that continued throughout their lives. Nothing pleased them more than lunch with their friends at the K & W Cafeteria after church, leaving church just a little early to “beat the Baptists” from nearby First Baptist Church.

Another passion that Helen especially enjoyed was golf. She proudly served as a “scorer” for the prestigious local golf tournament then known as the GGO for over 30 years. Competing as late as the early 90s and playing long after, Helen accumulated many trophies and accolades as an amateur and became very well respected in the golf circles. In fact, when asked who the better golfer was, Dan would joke and say he wanted to beat her…just once!

As the effects of the aging process gradually took their toll, Golf was eventually replaced by a new passion for art and painting. Soon, walls in their house, as well as those of many family members and friends were covered by her paintings; proudly, too, we might add. She was quite talented and Dan often beamed with pride.

Lastly, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention her love of cooking, particularly candy and her famous Peanut Brittle. No one that she knew, met, talked with, or even thought about missed the opportunity to sample her confection. A freezer was purchased for the sole purpose of storing the thousands of peanuts required for the finished product; one we will all sadly miss.

Those left in Helen’s immediate family to cherish her memory include sons, Dan (wife, Carolyn) of Oak Ridge, NC and Ron (wife, Tanya), who reside in Greensboro; three grandchildren, Melanie Kindley (fiancé’ Kenny), Matthew Self, and Courtney (Greg) Carter of Kennesaw, Georgia and, last but not least, two great-grandchildren, Bryce Kindley and Henry Carter.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation or to West Market United Methodist Church.

Online condolences may be made to www.haneslineberryfuneralhomes.com.