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In memory of

Ms. Helen Catherine Clair

Norfolk, VA, USA

April 30, 1928 - February 2, 2019

Apr 30, 1928 - Feb 2, 2019

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Helen Catherine Clair, of Norfolk, Virginia passed away on February 2, 2019 at 1:04 a.m.
She is no longer in pain. Her muscles are strong, she hears the faintest songbirds. She has been restored. She is with Our Lord now and the first thing we are sure she did was dance with her daughter Betty Jean, and then probably got a perm. She does not want us to shed anymore tears. She knows we will miss her, and we love her. She knows we wanted her to stay, but we know she could not. She wants her life celebrated. She always said “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”.
Helen was born on April 30, 1928 to Louis and Beatrice Levinsky in Haverhill, Massachusetts. After graduating from Haverhill High School in 1946, she had some college and went on living and loving her life.
Not long after graduation, she met Bernard Frances Clair Jr. and they wed in marriage on December 30, 1953, going on to have seven children, Patricia (Patty) Mary (Kitty), William (Bill), Debbie, Gary, Betty Jean and Virginia.
Later, as a single parent she raised all of us the best she could with what she had. She did not have a lot of money to buy things, but the important things she gave us will last longer than any toy or gift; she gave us “Strength and determination to overcome any obstacles in Our Way”. She taught us to work hard and keep going, no matter how hard things got. She wanted all her kids to know she loved us, no matter what, even though they did not see each other all the time.
After retiring in 2009, after 49 years in the Food and Beverage Industry, Helen spent her time going to yard sales, which she loved doing her whole life, along with riding her bike, traveling and exploring more in the Hampton Roads area on the transit bus system (she never drove or had a driver’s license), reading at least 20 books a week if not more. She visited her family in Oklahoma, and enjoyed the family she had right here at home. She enjoyed visiting all her friends and coworkers at the Harbor Inn over the years, where she worked for 20 plus years. She also enjoyed visiting her friends and Marlene, at Winners.
She loved hanging out and going places with her daughter, Jenny, along with a few great adventures thrown in, and usually never a dull moment. She survived the wraths of Ocean View, good and bad, and she helped a lot of people in her lifetime if it just be with a listening ear or good food. She never judged, and was there for anyone who needed her. Her daughter, Debbie always said “I would love to write a book about your life”.
Helen was predeceased by her parents, our beautiful sister Betty Jean Clair, and our father Bernard Francis Clair. She is survived by her children, Patricia Ann Salmon, Mary Catherine Miller, William Francis Clair, Deborah Susan Miller (John Miller), Gary Stephen Clair (Tracey) and Virginia (Jenny) ClairAguilar; her grandchildren Julian, Danny, Jamison, Kizzy, Casey, Alyson (Darin), Garrett, Logan, Joshua, Stephanie (Zach) Sherrie, Amanda and Kelly, as well as eight great grandchildren; Kalyn, Camilla, Mikey, Ty, Sadie, Taylor, Nate and Abigail.
Thank you to Tamika, Latoya, and Joenika for helping Helen the last two months and just being with her.
A great THANK YOU to FNI Healthcare for the care and service this past year. And, Jennelle (nurse with FNI), thank you for caring so much and helping and caring for my mom weekly.
There will be a “Celebration of Life” for Helen at a later date, her birthday, April 30, 2019. Her wishes are to be cremated and be reunited with her daughter Betty Jean in the Chesapeake Bay.
There will be a “Memorial Celebration of Life” Service on Friday, February 8, 2019 at the Fleet Reserve Association Banquet Hall at 9601 First View Street, Norfolk 23503 from 3-6 p.m. She would want all to come and celebrate her life and bid her Farewell.
We have a memorial page set up at https://everloved.com/life-of…. You can look at pictures, Please, please leave any memories or great stories you may have of, or with Helen. There will be any updates for any services there also.

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