Helen Elaine Himes Fear

Eight year old Helen and her younger brother Robert performed readings and songs in costume, accompanied on the piano by older sister Marjorie as part of local church programs.

The economic crunch of the Depression caused the Himes family to move to Cincinnati, Ohio, where Forrest could pursue his work as a carpenter and later become a contractor who built homes and apartments.

Helen Himes earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of Cincinnati. She lived close to campus with her parents and joined Phi Mu sorority. Along with her academic success, Helen's reputation as a marvelous cook known for her tasty pies and other goodies began during this time and continued to be one of her remarkable qualities throughout her life.

In August, 1947, Helen married Frank Fear. Both shared a deep love of animals. They moved to College Station, Texas, where Frank became a doctor of veterinary medicine and an A&M professor. Helen and Frank made their family complete with a German Shepherd dog as their constant companion. Over the years Christy, Brava, and Trudy were beloved shepherds; Jazz and Murphy were delightful terriers that brought much joy to the Fear household.

Frank and Helen moved to San Antonio when Frank was involved in a chimpanzee research project, after which he developed an animal pathology practice. Settling into a lovely home in Castle Hills, Helen and Frank enjoyed a backyard of beautiful pecan trees, plenty of garden space to fill with favorite plants, a sprawling ranch for entertaining friends, and lots of room for their dogs to exercise freely outdoors.

At the age of 47 years Frank suddenly died of a heart attack while playing in a tennis tournament. Working full time as a valued office manager at Ft. Sam Houston military base for 30 years gave Helen the opportunity to continue the lifestyle that she and Frank had enjoyed as she pursued her own diverse interests.

Helen's living room had a quilting frame that often displayed the current creation-in-progress of carefully designed and stitched masterpieces. As a member of The Greater San Antonio Quilt Guild, two quilting bees and a regular participant in the summer quilting camps, Helen always had projects going from little baby quilts to exquisite bed covers to striking wall hangings that brought color and life to her wall space.

She found a vibrant church home in The Fellowship of San Antonio, where she could always count on joyful worship. The Greatest Generation Sunday School class there filled Helen's life with friendships and spiritual inspiration. The Investment Club was Helen's avocation as she thoughtfully managed her earnings and investments after considerable research.

She was very active in the Terrill Heights Garden Club, making wreaths and decorations around the Holidays and pitching in to help with Club projects. Canine organizations and walking groups have also appreciated her attention and active participation.

At the age of 89 years Helen sold her home and moved to Independence Village where she was surrounded by her treasured possessions in her own comfortable cottage, and participated in the broad range of activities that are part of the social and cultural life of the Village as a whole. She trained her shepherd Trudy to be a companion dog who visited assisted living and Alzheimer's residents. She took advantage of the wide selection of exercise opportunities available and always enjoyed a good laugh with friends at Village gatherings.

In June of 2009, her caring physicians found incurable cancer in her bile duct, liver, and pancreas. Helen carried on with the support of her friends, her church, Caring Companions 24 hour care, excellent attentive physicians, and Heart to Heart Hospice until her death.

She is survived by her nieces, Bev Witwer of Iowa City, Iowa, and Jan Wright of Mancos, Colorado, as well as her brother-in-law, Wilbur Fear of Wichita, Kansas.

Helen often expressed her love for the large circle of dear friends who were as close to her as family, blessing the days of her life with love, laughter, great conversation, and purpose.

Memorial contributions to The Fellowship of San Antonio, 23755 Canyon Golf Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78258, will be gratefully received as a way of honoring the vibrant active life of Helen Fear.