My "Aunt Helen" was a very special person to me my entire life. She was like a second mom to me and I always respected and admired her opinion and advice. 
She was smart, sophisticated, and lady-like in a way I tried to emulate from an early age.
We loved visiting Pensacola, where she insisted we stay with her and seemed offended when we would sometimes want to stay on the beach instead.  
We would go out to eat often, trying some of her favorites places and she even talked Ricky into trying a garbage burger at McGuire's, something he never would have tried without her encouragement.
We went to a Greek Festival, Arts Festival, shopping in Foley, having shrimp at the Marina Oyster Bar or a burger at the diner, a giant tower of nachos at Flounders, or takeout from the Greek food truck. All good, but the best part was the fellowship.
I will miss our almost weekly phone calls where we would stay  in touch despite the physical distance. We would talk about everything and nothing and each call was meaningful. 
We would sometimes meet at a campground near Montgomery for the weekend at a camping rally for a camping club they were in.
Joe introduced Ricky to the Blue Angels and we would sometimes come down twice a year to the airshow, summertime at the beach airshow and in the fall for the homecoming show.
Ricky and Ed formed a special bond and would often team up to tease Helen, something she found amusing as neither one ever got the last word in on her.
We both will miss her dearly.
Love,
LaDon and Ricky

Helen was one of a kind. I enjoyed her honesty, wit and dry sense of humor. I’m happy we became “family” when my daughter, Becca and her stepson, Gus married. She loved Sam and Abby and they loved her. They always had a fun time at Nana and Papa’s house. 

J.J. was her pride and joy. She told me several stories about his younger years with a twinkle in her eye and a grin on her face. Her granddaughter, Kristyna, was also very close to her heart. 

I’ll miss you Helen. You’re in God’s hands now, standing tall, with no more pain. I’m sure you and Ed have already adopted a dog or two.

Mrs. Pinnell was my second mom. She stepped up when my parents divorced and we spent so much time together. Trips to Georgia, round after round of gin rummy and slumber parties in Jill's bedroom. She hugged me when my dad forgot to pick me up for Christmas vacation and tried to help teach me to be a lady. 
What a lady. My biggest love to JJ and Jill.

The last family photo together in 2021.  Pensacola Beach, FL

Kristyna and Nana cruising around the Caribbean in 2019

Mom,

I don’t know how to begin, because saying goodbye to you feels impossible. You were the steady light in every dark hallway, the quiet strength behind every one of my steps, and the voice that always knew how to guide me—even when I didn’t want to listen. Now the world feels heavier, quieter, and a little less complete without you in it.

Thank you for every sacrifice you made that I never fully understood until I was older. Thank you for the countless ways you put love into action—through the meals you cooked, the advice you offered, the laughter you sparked, and the patience you somehow never ran out of. You taught me what resilience looks like. You taught me what love does. And you taught me, without ever needing to say it, how to be a better man.

I wish I could have one more conversation with you. One more hug. One more chance to say the things I thought I’d have a lifetime left to say. But I hope you already knew—really knew—how deeply you were loved, how admired you were, and how much your presence shaped the best parts of who I am.

You may be gone from this world, but you are forever sewn into my life. Every bit of kindness I show, every moment I choose courage, every time I push forward when it’s easier to stop—those are the parts of you still living through me. I promise to carry your love with me, to honor you in the way I live, and to keep reaching for the kind of goodness you spent your whole life giving.

Rest peacefully, Mom. You deserve every bit of that peace. You will not have to suffer any more pain.  I am sure you are already up in heaven fussin at Ed and loving every moment together.  And until the day I see you again, just know—your son loves you more than words can ever hold.

Love,

Joseph (J.J.)

OBITUARY

Helen Ruth Tytke

August 10, 1946 – December 4, 2025

Leppert Mortuaries - Nora

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