HELEN EMILY HAY

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HELEN EMILY HAY
January 23, 1954 – July 31, 2021

It is with heartfelt sorrow that we acknowledge the passing of our treasured Helen: wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, nurse, therapist and friend.
Helen, daughter of Ian and May, was born in 1954 and remained rooted in Winnipeg during a rich and full life of professional excellence and loving relationship. She was schooled at Balmoral Hall where she made lifelong friends, especially Donna, Dolores, Renee and Connie. During those years her greatest joy was the connection to horses she and her father shared. Each had their own horse in addition to ponies which they took to country fairs. When Helen would invite a school friend to ride bareback behind her, her horse Flicka would only tolerate that for so long and then she would lie down which inevitably sent the intruder sliding off. She was smart. So was Helen.
Helen's career was repeatedly propelled forward by the instability of the rung on the ladder she currently occupied. First, she trained as an LPN, then learned that LPNs were going to be phased out, so she challenged to complete an accelerated RN training program and secured that credential, only to learn a few years later that this category was likely to be eliminated, so she set about getting her BN. Through these busy years of raising a family and working at Misericordia Hospital, Helen gradually recognized that the aspect of caregiving she loved the most was meeting people's emotional needs. So, when she was offered a position with Transport Canada as Employee Assistance Counsellor she was delighted; recognizing that the position really required a Master's degree she began Couple and Family Therapy training at the University of Winnipeg. This became the first educational upgrade it took her more than two years to complete! The resulting combination of expertise in physical, mental, emotional, and relational health made her a phenomenal therapist.
More important than education in Helen's success as a nurse and a therapist was who she was as a person. She cared deeply for others. She was intelligent and intuitive, understanding, and compassionate. She never stopped looking for learning opportunities and consulted regularly with colleagues, always with the intention of offering the best possible service to her clients. She never gave up on anyone; she responded to clients in crisis regardless of the hour. Helen's private practice at the Wolseley Elm continued after retirement from her government position. When illness required her to stop work, over 80 active clients were distressed by her loss as well as many others she'd helped over the years for whom she was the sweet miracle in their back pocket to be called on whenever life got rough.
Helen found joy in many things: her garden, her creatures, the intricate pattern of frost on her back door, travelling to visit family or to explore the wider world. Most of all she loved her family. She and her husband Paul were devoted partners and best friends. Her daughters, Jennifer, Coby and Leslie (and partners, Ben, Mike and Danielle) were precious to Helen. She was a caring grandma to Jesse, Amy, Riley, Carter, Isaac and Aiden. And bringing laughter and joy in her final years was her great-grandson, Spencer. She had a chance to meet her latest great-grandchild Olivia Emily prior to her passing. In addition, she enjoyed her extended family, especially sisters-in-law, Ann and Doris, brother-in-law Bryan and wife Debbie. Being an only child, Helen also gathered around her a supportive circle of substitute sisters: her BH friends plus Joan, Marilyn, Katy, Crystal, Louise, Lorraine, Maureen, Thelma, Lucille, Sandi and Marion; and she had a network of dear friends and valued colleagues including Sheryl, Theresa, Jule, Claire, Jodie, Lisa, Darlynne, Diana and Elaine; Mable and Tom, Randy and Brenda, Mark and Cathy; and her 'sons of the heart' Henry and partner Alison, Chris and partner Adeline. All of us, family, friends, colleagues, and clients feel richly blessed to have had Helen in our lives.
We thank all those who have cared for Helen during her final illness, especially Aubrey, Stefan, Marilyn, Joan and Ann.
With Helen's passing the world has lost a purveyor of life, healing, laughter, and love. We, the family, would like to thank all staff at Riverview Health Centre for the care provided and for making sure her passing was peaceful and with dignity with family by her side.
A celebration of her life will be held on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Paul's the Apostle Church, 2400 Portage Ave.
As per Helen's wishes, in lieu of flowers, a donation to a charity of your choice is appreciated. Some of Helen's favourite charities are: Winnipeg Humane Society/ Animal Pet Rescue, Plan Canada, CancerCare Manitoba, Siloam Mission and recently Riverview Health Centre Foundation.

We will hold her in our hearts forever.

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 14, 2021