Helen Elizabeth Lauderdale died Saturday afternoon, Sept. 3, 2010, at Whidbey General Hospital in Coupeville from heart failure. She was 85 years old and her passing, while sudden, was peaceful.

Helen was born in Bozeman, Mont. on Dec. 18, 1924.

She was the middle of three daughters (Jean was the eldest, Myra the youngest) of William and Freeda McCollum. Her father died while Helen was still a child, and Freeda raised the girls alone during the rigors of the Depression years.

When Helen was 18, she left Montana and, like so many others, did her part in the war effort, assembling heavy bombers in Ogden, Utah.

After the war, she moved to Colorado, finally living in Denver, where she met Tom, a recently demobilized naval officer. They wed on Jan. 23, 1947, and Helen was blessed with 63 happy years of marriage.

She and Tom moved around the west: to Española and Alamogordo in New Mexico, several years in Seattle, and then to San Bernardino, Calif. They finally settled in Langley on Whidbey Island in 1985.

Throughout her life, Helen was deeply patriotic and very involved in community organizations. She was a charter member of the Whidbey Chapter of the Daughter’s of the American Revolution, and served as Whidbey Island’s regent between 1996 and 1998. Her involvement with the DAR tied in with her keen interest in genealogy — Helen traced her ancestors back to the mountains of Scotland, and was thrilled to be able to visit some of her ancestrial castles.

She was also a member of the Republican Women, serving as president of the local chapter in 1991. Her “Something to Think About” presentations on current events prompted some great discussions and are still remembered.

A talented painter, she was involved with local art clubs, and her work was shown in many venues. Another great passion was horses. She devoted many years, both in California and on Whidbey, to raising and showing Welsh ponies. And no tribute to Helen would be complete without mentioning her utter devotion to her cats.

Her intelligence, grace and dignity were an inspiration to all who knew her. She will be missed.

Helen is survived by her husband Tom, her sister Myra, and her two sons: George and wife Wanda in Oak Harbor, and David and wife Kathy in London.

She will be cremated, and a memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15, at the Langley Christian Missionary Alliance Church.