On December 02, 2022, the world lost a beautiful soul. Helen Chism- loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend passed at the age of 75 surrounded by the ones she loved.

Born on October 08, 1947, Helen spent her life spreading kindness to all around her. A comfort to many and a joy to all, most of her time was spent taking care of her family, her friends, and her church community. Out of all or her accomplishments, her family was arguably her most important achievement in life. Helen is survived by her loving daughters Nene and Stephanie, her adoring grandchildren Tiffany, Kevin, Elyssa, Engelina, Elexis, Jake, Ariana, Heather, Joseph, and Maddox, and her great grandchildren Mekenzie, Victor, Phoenix, Gavin, Ava, Oliver, Caden, and Aria as well as countless friends and close relatives.

Helen's life would seem too short to many, but those of us who were blessed to be touched by her understand that her existence and the imprint she left on our hearts exceeded the quantity of time that she stayed here. Helen was a magnetic force- pulling those she cared about together for a multitude of occasions. One could say that her home served as the ‘headquarters’ of our lives, as it served as the gathering place where years of memories were made and shared. In a world where there is seldom consistency in day-to-day life, one thing remained a constant: everyone knew that no matter what was occurring in their life, or where they were geographically positioned in the world, they could report back to ‘headquarters’ and be welcomed with open arms. And what a comforting feeling that was.

Helen showed compassion in an array of ways, but to share her table for a meal was the highest of rewards. No matter the occasion, you would find Helen in the kitchen preparing a five-star meal for her loved ones. From her famous collard greens to her potato salad, her love was poured into each batch- and believe it or not you could taste it. Although her food satisfied the soul and made you momentarily forget about all your troubles, her company surpassed it all. Her kind eyes led into the warmest of hugs- an embrace I can still feel if I close my eyes. She was the best listener, and she had a gift for perfectly tailoring her advice to whatever troubled you. You always left her home knowing that you were loved and cared for, which is all anyone could ask for in this life. She would cry with you, she would show you compassion, and, most importantly, she would pray with and for you.

To know her was to love her. Her voice carried a tune that warmed your heart. Every birthday you could guarantee a call from Helen, where she’d be on the other side of the phone eagerly waiting to sing you into your new year of life. But birthdays were not where this ended, as she wished nothing but happiness for everyone daily and permanently held residence as the number one fan on the sidelines of our lives. I can speak for us all when I say we will miss receiving our birthday phone calls, loving messages, and thoughtful gifts- as she was an expert in all the aforementioned fields. There was truly nothing she could not do, and, moreover, nothing she would not be willing to do to make someone smile.

Her magnitude of kindness can be winnowed down to her openness to share her home. But at the end of the day, she was our home. What a poetic masterpiece- knowing she comforted the ones she loved with hers while she was ours. I like to think she knew that all along, though, as she had her ways of doing that.

To our magnetic centripetal force, our glue that brought us together, our Oma—thank you for touching each one of us deeply. We are blessed to have called you ours. Her spirit will live in all of us, and the next time we perform an act of service, make a comforting meal for the ones we love, or simply share a warm, reaffirming smile with a stranger, may we be reminded of her and the gift her life was to the world.

There will be no services held, as this was Helen’s wish. Instead, all are encouraged to share their memories of Helen on her website for family and friends alike to see and continue to perpetuate her loving memory.

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” | Philippians 1:3

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