Helen Marie Vaughan Keprta, 81, crossed peacefully over the threshold into Heaven in the presence of her family at her home in Puyallup, WA on May 21.

Remaining to mourn her passing and celebrate her life is her beloved precious daughter Dovie Keprta Crouse and beloved son-in-law Todd Crouse, sister-in-law Linda (Olan) Vaughan, as well as nieces, nephews, and several (in her words) "greats and great greats".

Helen was born on April 16, 1943 in Port Arthur, TX and raised in Groves, TX. She graduated from Port Neches-Groves High School in 1961. Helen moved to Houston in her early 20s, where she spent many happy years. Helen spent most of her career in benefits administration for Solvay North America, where she enjoyed 30 years of service and made many lifelong friends. Interested in the medical field from an early age, she became known at Solvay as “Dr. Keprta” for her ability to recognize a colleague’s medical symptoms for what they indicated, as well as her tendency to be the resident psychologist. Beloved colleagues and friends spent many hours in her office working through personal woes over the years.

Although she and Charlie had only one daughter (Dovie), Helen had a lifelong habit of “adopting” people that she welcomed into her home as family, whether for a meal or for a season of life. More than a few of her “kids” spent months or years living in the guest room or the garage apartment of their home in Houston.

As a testament to the fact that relationships were the single most important thing to her, Helen spent her last days contacting friends and family far and wide to let them know she was thinking of them in this season and that she’d be waiting for them at the gates of heaven.

Helen spent the last eight joyful years living with Dovie and Todd in Houston and moved to the Seattle area with them in October of 2023.

Helen was preceded in death by her companion in life Charles James Keprta, her parents Willie Clinton and Jewel Holland Vaughan, two brothers Thurman Doyle (Anna Marie) Davis and Olan Arthur Vaughan, and her sister Dovie (Bobby) Thornton.

A memorial service will be held at Holy Family HTX Episcopal Church (3719 Navigation Blvd) in Houston at 4:00pm on Sunday, June 2.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the American Diabetes Foundation or Alzheimer’s Foundation. Flowers and plants won’t make the flight back to WA, but if you’re so inclined, gift cards from Watson’s Greenhouse and Nursery in Puyallup would be welcome. Dovie and Todd will use those to fill their home with plants in enduring memory of Helen Marie. Information for delivery can be found elsewhere on this site.

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