HELEN MARJORY PATON ORLIKOW (DAVIE)

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HELEN MARJORY PATON ORLIKOW (nee DAVIE) On May 18, 2007, Helen Orlikow passed away peacefully at the age of 83 in the Grace Hospice, Winnipeg. As a loving and devoted wife, Mom, Nana and friend to many, she will be greatly missed. She will be lovingly remembered by Archie, her husband of 58 years; her two boys, Bill (Elaine) of Vancouver and Jim (Linda) of Winnipeg, and grandchildren, Evan and Marianne of Winnipeg. Also sharing in our sadness and remembering the joy of Mom's life are Jacqueline Davie, Lionel and Anne Orlikow, Dr. Pat Davis, and nieces/nephews, Pat and Tom (on the Davie side ), and Leslie, Gordon, Dan, Nancy, Kineret, Peter, John and David (on the Orlikow side ) and their families. We know Mom will also be missed by her friends from the RCAF-WD, the MPhA Womens' Auxilliary, her club, the Legion, and cribbage groups, the pharmacy gang, the Rossmere group and many others. Mom was predeceased by her parents, William Davie and Margaret Paton, and her brother Bill Davie. She was born in Winnipeg on December 12, 1923 and raised on Arlington Street in the West End. Mom attended Greenway and Daniel Mac schools prior to joining the RCAF-WD during the Second World War. She was in the Fighter Ops and stationed in Dartmouth, NS. She met Archie Orlikow on a bus trip from Chicago in 1947. In 1949, they married into a life of mutual love, devotion, friendship, support and caring. Mom had a busy life as Dad's partner in his career in Pharmacy. While Dad worked long hours, seven days a week, her job was to take care of everything else!! She did everything cooking, cleaning, house painting and fence building, attending the YMHA, tutoring reading skills, helping in countless elections in Rossmere, Transcona and the Winnipeg North ridings, volunteering for the Parkinson Society and attending Pharmacy Conventions. For many years, it also meant sewing most of her own clothes, crosswords, storytelling, gabbing with friends and raising two very active boys. Mom was amazing! Mom had a great life which for her was supporting and caring for all of us! Some of Mom's proudest times included Bill's graduation from RRCC, the Calgary Police Academy and his career in the BC Sheriffs Dept.; Jim's graduation from U of M and career in Architecture; Dad's Pharmacist of the Year Award; Jim and Linda's wedding; the births of Evan and Marianne; meeting Bill's partner Elaine; and most recently, celebrating 58 years of marriage to Archie on May 11, 2007. Mom entered Victoria Hospital on October 4, 2006, and then moved to the Grace Hospice for the latter part of her journey through life. Mom never complained. When asked how she was, she was always fine or ok and never scared or in pain. Mom was always happy to see the visitors and staff who shared the last several months with her. Her smile was widest and her face brightest when she saw her grandchildren, Evan and Marianne, whom she adored. Mom was a continuing inspiration for us to keep going and be strong. Her inspiration will continue. How lucky we were to have her with us this long! Our family wishes to thank the staff at Victoria Hospital who cared for Mom from October through December. We also want to offer our greatest thanks and deepest gratitude to the staff and volunteers of the Grace Hospice for the love, caring and compassion you showed Mom and all of us over the past many months. You truly are our family's angels of the Grace. A celebration of Mom' life will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, May 25, 2007 at Thomson In The Park Funeral Home, 1291 McGillivray Blvd., Winnipeg. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to do so may make memorial donations to the Grace Hospice Grace General Hospital Foundation, 300 Booth Dr., Winnipeg, MB R3J 3M7. THOMSON IN THE PARK FUNERAL HOME AND CEMETERY 1291 MCGILLIVRAY BLVD WWW.THOMSONINTHEPARK.COM 925-1120

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 22, 2007