Helen R. (Finkle) Cano, 70, of Ferndale, NY, passed away on July 17, 2025, surrounded by people who loved her deeply. What began as a birthday trip to Arizona became her final journey, filled with family, laughter, and love.

Helen lived with strength, humor, and generosity. A single mother who wore every hat, she raised her children with grit and tenderness— teaching them how to build chicken coops, fix what was broken, and face the world with curiosity and courage. She was our “Mom-Dad,” the person who showed up no matter what, made everything from scratch, and could calm a storm in your heart with a joke, a hug, or a simple kvetch sesh.

Helen saw the magic in everything. Hawks seen from the car were always called out with excitement, “Look, a hawk!” Sunrises and sunsets weren’t just skies—they were moments to pause and appreciate. She was quick to laugh, loved to share, and was known for giving away garden zucchini the size of your arm. She was the person people turned to for rides, advice, comfort, a dirty joke, or a hot meal. She traded home remedies with strangers (like her famous raisins soaked in rum), shared recipes with nurses, and couldn’t go to the grocery store without getting into a deep conversation in the checkout line.

Even in her final months, she kept giving—still laughing, still teaching, still finding ways to care. But when her body had carried enough, when the fight became too much, she chose peace. And we honored her in that choice, just as she spent her life honoring all of us with her endless love.

She will be missed in every sunrise, every thunderstorm, every hawk in the sky, and most of all, in the quiet moments when we just need to call our mom.

Helen is survived by her children: Shanna Suarez and her wife Stephanie of Dewey, AZ; Esa Cano of Kingston, NY; Megan Caffery and Juan Cano of Liberty, NY. Her grandchildren, Zion, Kianna, Sawyer, and Anna, were her greatest joy. She is also survived by her sister, Lonnie Lindsey and her husband Robert Lindsey of Monticello, NY, and their son Stefan Feldman, and by the many others who considered her a second mom. She was predeceased by her parents, Loren and Peggy Finkle, and her brother Walter.

She gave everything she had and leaves behind a legacy of love, grit, warmth, and wild, stubborn joy that lives on in everyone she touched. She was our lighthouse in the storm. She always will be.

A celebration of her life will be announced at a later date. In her memory, the family encourages you to share a favorite recipe with a friend, plant something in your garden, or check in on someone who might need a little extra love.

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