Helen Lankinen (nee Matson)

Helen Lankinen (nee Matson) passed away on September 14, 2020 at home after a long journey with dementia. She was cared for lovingly by her devoted and determined husband Wayne to the final day when she slipped away.

Helen was born on August 15, 1934. Her parents were Thea and Gustav Matson. Her family lived in West Pearson Township on their homestead / farm. The school she attended in her early years was S. S. #2 Pearson, but later she went to school in South Gillies. She fondly remembered and talked about the fun she had during her childhood years with her many brothers and sisters.

In her later teen years, she lived in town for a period of time working as a maid and then at Merchants Distributing. During that time, Helen met Wayne at a dance at Hymers Fairgrounds. They began a courtship that led to marriage on May 29, 1954.

She moved back to Pearson where Wayne had property not far from where she was born. Her life was a “country life,” which she was used to. Here they raised their family of four children, whom she spoke lovingly about. Often, she’d say, “I had such good babies!” She was immensely proud of her family. Her other interests were gardening, sewing, and quilting. She was a dedicated member of the Pearson Pardee Women’s Institute.

She and Wayne spent time camping with their family at Falling Snow, Northern Light, and Arrow lakes, to name a few.

Almost every year from the late 1970s to 2015, she and Wayne traveled in Canada and the U.S. on photography trips. She was the photographer’s (Wayne’s) assistant, and would sometimes take a few shots of hummingbirds herself.

Helen was a survivor! She faced life’s challenges with grace; both calmly and rather fearlessly. Her life was interspersed with more than her share of life-threatening health problems and in 2013, dementia began its course. Through it all, she trusted in life, her family, and her guardian angels.

Family members who passed before are her parents and her siblings Margaret, Ivor, Harold, Bill, Greta, Roy, Alfred, Leo, Florence, and Ernest.

Family members who will miss her are her husband Wayne; children Joan (Mike), Jim (Theresa), Robert (Sherri) and Maria (Lorne); grandchildren Lea (Steven), Lené (Derek), Robin (Julie), Isaac, Jane, Sarah, Andrew, Lily, Christopher (Kimberly), Cassandra, and Katrina (Nikki); great-grandchildren Maiah, Logan, Hannah, Colton, and Makayla; and her sister Mildred.

She overflowed with kindness, compassion, and humility; all things beautiful. One can only hope to live a life of such goodness and light. A pillar of strength, a gift, the wind beneath our wings, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and dear friend. She will be deeply missed.

She will live on in each of us. We are forever grateful for the example she set and the life we shared; we are so much in love.

Family members wish to thank all of the medical professionals in her life, especially her family doctor Jennifer Fulford and, more recently, home care workers who cared for Helen in the past few months.