Helen Jarvie Chan

Born in the District of Kirkcaldy in the County of Fife, Scotland, on September 23, 1957, she was the middle daughter of Bertie and Margaret McArthur. Raised with two older siblings, Margaret, Ann and a younger sister, Roberta, in Scotland until the family emigrated to Canada in June of 1960. Growing up in Richmond, BC Canada, they welcomed their youngest sibling, Heather.

Helen worked at various jobs while in Metro Vancouver ranging from fast-food service to the flight kitchen at Vancouver International Airport and lastly in the food service department at Surrey Memorial Hospital. As result of repetitive injury to her wrist, she no longer was able to work and became a dedicated homemaker about 10 years after.

In 1979, met her husband to be, Thomas, at a Richmond, BC pub through her sister, Roberta. Later in 1980 they married and built a wonderful life together living in various communities in Metro Vancouver south of the Fraser River, with Surrey, BC the main community before moving to the Edmonton, AB region. This occurred in late 2007 when Tom moved to follow a new career opportunity. After about 1.5 years in South Edmonton, Helen and Tom settled in Leduc, AB where she loved the close-knit community, developing good friendships locally and through various locations in Central Alberta and Calgary.

Helen had a son, Troy, in 1976 prior to her marriage to Tom and during the marriage had a daughter, Tara while residing in BC in 1980. A standout of Helen’s nature was her giving nature welcoming the children’s friends, nieces, nephews and any other friends or family to their home in a time of need. Many to this day recall this open-door kindness such that they called Helen and Tom’s home their “second home”. This kindness and warm heartedness extended to so many who knew her wherever she resided.

In the decade before her passing, Helen showed her fighting, Scottish, spirit navigating many health issues. She routinely fought bouts of anemia requiring iron or blood transfusions, or both, throughout. She was diagnosed with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in 2018. Despite given only 18 months she was treated with immunotherapy at the Cross Cancer Institute receiving roughly 50 infusions over this roughly 8-year period. Two years ago, she was also diagnosed with colon cancer which was successfully treated surgically and chemotherapy. Helen was such a ‘Trooper’ that she took here last chemotherapy treatment while she also was having an immunotherapy infusion session. In addition to these two cancer issues, she also had surgical remediation for two broken lower legs, heel avulsion fracture, and hardware fusion of several lower vertebrae as result of stenosis. Shortly after her colon surgery she had complications that resulted in fluid in her lungs which seriously progressed to a need for Helen to be intubated and spent several days in Royal Alexander Hospital ICU to, literally, save her life. During all these medical challenges, Helen remained strong and fought every battle with courage; until her body could no longer sum up the energy required to fight the cancer which recently spread to the lining of her brain.

Helen lived for her friends and family near and far. She may have been quite but here giving heart roared loud. She is lovingly remembered by her children; her grandchildren: Dayton, Justin, Krislyn, Julia, Thomas James (TJ), Mercedes and Porsche; foster grandchildren: Kane, Spencer and Fergus (foster daughter Brie); nieces/nephews: Margaret-Ann (Martin), Shannon (Marko) , Shawn and Ryan (Trina); daughter-in-law Jen (Kris); son-in-law Isaac; and many more cousins/nieces/nephews and in-law relations in Metro Van, Surrey, Nanaimo, Scotland, Macau, Hong Kong and Southern China. Helen will also be dearly missed and remembered by so many friends and friends that have become ‘friend-family’ members.

Helen’s story of strength, courage and enduring love will be missed forever by all that have known her.

A Celebration of Life will be convened soon.

In lieu of flowers, expression of sympathy in Helen’s memory to Alberta Canada Foundation (with donation directed preferably to the Cross Cancer Institute) or the Leduc Community Hospital Foundation are welcomed.