April 21, 1946 ~ June 23, 2020 (age 74)
Honoring the Life of Helga Margarete Stewart ( Nee Buerk)
Helga Stewart passed away peacefully late on Tuesday, June 23,2020 with family and nursing staff by her side, at the Whispering Pines Retirement home where she resided in Barrie, Ontario, Canada.
Helga was born April 21,1946 in Munich, Germany to Hermine and Werner( Bill) Buerk ( shortly after World War Two had ended). The young family decided to move and start their new life in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Helga went on to have a younger sister, Rosi. Helga graduated(with honors) from Chateauguay Valley High School, where she was a star athlete and basketball champion. Upon graduation, she then went on to serve in the United States Navy Medical Corp in Michigan. While serving at the Great Lakes Hospital in Michigan, she ended up meeting and marrying United States Marine Robert Wayne Stewart. After marriage, they were stationed at Camp Pendelton in San Diego Southern California. Upon the ending of their term of service, they moved to Alva, Oklahoma where they both attended and graduated from Northwestern Oklahoma State university with Masters Degrees. Hers would be in Science along with a Medical Laboratory technologist certificate. While working/living in Oklahoma and then Kansas, they had two daughters Connie Marie and Christy Kay and step daughter Catherine Pierce.
Helga became homesick for her mom and the family decided to moved back to her parents town of residence in Georgetown, Ontario, Canada in 1977. She would raise her family in Erin, Ontario and work many years at the Georgetown hospital and then for Canadian Medical Laboratories in Mississauga, Ontario. She went on to retire from there and enjoy her retirement and her grandchildren.
Helga also loved dogs and raised many American/Canadian Champion Dalmation show dogs. Her passion were also camping, kayaking, spending time with family, and going for lovely drives out in the countryside to view nature.
Towards the end of her life, she became diagnosed with the chronic illness of COPD and asthma and suffered more than 8 years with the chronic disease that would end her life. She was a extremely strong willed woman and fought every chance she could, to live longer. Above ALL else, she had an amazing genuine sense of humour and very easy going personality once she got to know you.
She is predeceased by her parents, her Aunt Louise, Aunt Meta, her former husband Robert and then partner Jeannie Curtis.
She leaves behind her 3 daughters, Cathy Pierce ( Oklahoma),Connie Stewart (Brampton, Ontario), Christy Cooper, her son in law Jamie Cooper, grandchildren Christian and Cameron Cooper, sister Rosi, and last but not least, her best friend forever of more than 40 years, Ashley Rose Andrews ( Penetang, Ontario). Also many great nieces and nephews in the states.
As per Helga's wishes, there will be no formal funeral service and cremation has taken place. A small celebration of her life will be held at the Belfountain Conservation Area Park (by the waterfalls) at a later date.
" Remember, HOPE is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies"
-Steven King ( her favorite author)
