Helen Keeler Beck, 102

Helen Keeler Beck passed away peacefully at Union Villa Long Term Care Facility in Unionville, Ontario at the wonderful age of 102.

Helen was born in Tupper Lake, and was part of a large closely-knit family. She was high school valedictorian and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in chemistry in 1937 from St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. She remained a proud alumnus of St. Lawrence for the rest of her life.

In 1942, she joined the US Navy as a WAVE (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), where she worked as a degaussing specialist protecting warships from mines for over 3 years. During her service, she met her husband, Lloyd, also in the Navy, and they married in 1944.

Her husband stayed with the Navy as a researcher in underwater acoustics, based mostly in Pasadena, California. They lived in Pasadena for about 40 years, raised two children, and then lived in Arroyo Grande, California for another 13 years.

In 2004, at the age of 87, Helen emigrated to Canada to be closer to her daughter and lived her final 15 happy years, surrounded by family, as a resident of Wyndham Gardens and finally Union Villa.

Helen was predeceased by all her seven sisters and brothers, and by her husband Lloyd in 1995.

She is survived by her son Bruce Beck (Hong) of Salt Lake City, Utah and daughter Donna Miasek (Peter) of Unionville, five grandchildren in Canada and the USA, eight great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Helen had a lifelong interest in sports, gardening, family genealogy, and current events. She will be missed by her entire family, but we recognize that all life is finite and that she is rejoining Lloyd.

Our thanks to the staff at Union Villa for the care and kindness extended to her in her final years.

Visitation will be held at the Dixon-Garland Funeral Home, 166 Main St. North (Markham Rd), Markham, Ontario on Thursday, November 7 from 10a.m. until time of the Celebration of Life at 11a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory, 178 Big Wolf Rd., Tupper Lake, NY 12986, USA, or to a charity of your choice.

A second ceremony and interment will be held in Tupper Lake at a future date.