ROSS Helen Ruth (nee White). August 23, 1930 – July 25, 2012. Helen Ruth Ross passed away peacefully in her 82nd
year with her family at her bedside on July 25, 2012 at Abbotsford Regional Hospital. Helen was born in White
Rock, BC on August 23, 1930 to John and Eva (Thomson) White. After Helen’s
birth the family returned to Mt. Lehman and lived on Olund Road. After Eva’s death when Helen was just two years old John and his three young daughters moved back to the White family homestead
on White Road (now Townline) where Helen’s grandparents Edmund and
Elizabeth White helped raise the girls. Helen and older sister Bev also lived for a while with their Uncle Edmund
and Aunt Annie White whose farm was part of the original homestead. Helen attended elementary school in Matsqui
Village, was honoured to be crowned May Queen in Abbotsford in 1944 and
graduated from Philip Sheffield High School in 1948. She married her high school sweetheart Robert Ross in
1949 and they built a new house on Marshall Road. This would be their home for more than 60 years. Helen was a wonderful mother to six children and a loving and devoted wife. She is survived and sadly missed by her husband of 62 years Bob Ross, daughters
Marilyn (Harvey) Goodwin, Elaine (Hans) Visser, Donna (Robert) Simpson, Shirley
(Ken) Jansen and son Darrell (Ruth) Ross. Helen will also be missed by her grandchildren Michelle (Mike) Appeldoorn, Mark (Kara) Goodwin,
Denise (Brad) Blades, Tiffany (Ryan) Biela, Wendy Dombrowski, Sheldon (Michelle)Visser, Darren (Amanda)
Simpson, Kirk (Sheena) Jansen, Ryan and Clayton Ross and great grandchildren
Kurtis, Tyson, Krystal and Allison Appeldoorn, Wyatt Goodwin, Brayden and
Cole Blades, Keegan and Linley
Biela, Shaelee and Chase Dombrowski, Blake Simpson, Preston and Alianna Jansen. Helen is also survived by her
sister Bev (Phil) Evans, nephews
Greg (Hope) Johnson, Jeff (Linda) Johnson, niece Diane (Pat) Miki, nephew
Jack (Lynda) Thompson, sister-in-law June Ross and many nieces, nephews and
extended family in the Ross, Thompson, Masse, Gibb, Thomson and Chevalley
families. Helen was predeceased by
her eldest child Dennis Ross in 2011, sister and brother-in-law June and Dave
Thompson, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Sonny Johnson, Walter and Fae
Ross, Delores and Al Masse and Wayne Ross. Mom devoted her life to the care of her family and her home. Her children will remember coming home after
school to fresh baked cookies and brownies. She passed on her talents for knitting and sewing and was always
available to help out with
babysitting as the grandchildren
came along. Helen enjoyed summer vacations at the ocean in Birch Bay, as well as camping and motorhome trips.
Helen was a long time member of the Canadian Order of Foresters and enjoyed the friendships she made in the
group. Helen’s grandparents, the
Whites, McCallums, and Thomsons were early pioneers in the Mt. Lehman area
and she became interested in genealogy when putting together family histories for some locally written books. The family would like to thank the paramedics, doctors and staff at Abbotsford Regional Hospital for the
wonderful care our mother received. We are especially thankful to the nurses on
Baker 3W Surgical and Baker 2W Medical wards for the extra care and compassion
shown to the family during this difficult time. A celebration of Helen’s life will be held on Sunday, August 12th, 2-4 P.M. at The Rancho, 35110 Delair Road, Abbotsford. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Huntington Society of Canada, 151 Frederick Street, Suite 400, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 2M2.