Obituaries

Helen Edith Wallace, 96, of Halifax, passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 24, 2022 in Parkland Clayton Park’s Drummond Hall.

Helen was born May 17, 1925 to James and Maria (Wightman) Wood of Halifax. She is survived by daughter Karen (Phil) Hughes, and son Craig Wallace (Marlo Ferguson). She was a proud Nana to Karen’s daughter Caitlin Hughes (Darren Mason); Craig’s daughters, Ava and Samantha Wallace; and great-granddaughters Ari and Myra Mason in Ottawa. She was the youngest of eight children, all of whom predeceased her. She had four sisters, Mildred Shatford, Gladys Ryan, Dorothy Lovett and Jean King as well as brothers Harold, John, and Gordon (Archie) Wood. It was a large and close family and Helen is survived by multiple generations of nieces and nephews, all of whom will miss her.

Helen had many memories of attending Chebucto Road School and later graduating from Bloomfield High School. In November 1945, she joined her sister Gladys in working at City Hall, a challenging job that she enjoyed. She later became secretary to two mayors of Halifax City, Mr. Leonard Kitz and Mr. Charles Vaughan. During this time, she met and then married her husband, Murray Wallace on September 28, 1957. She became an instant mother to Murray’s 7-year-old daughter Karen, and five years later gave birth to their son Craig. Her years of working outside the home ended with the decision to become a full-time homemaker and the young family moved to Clayton Park in 1965.

Helen was an avid sports player from a young age, playing golf at Brightwood Golf Club (and later, Oakfield) and learning to swim and play tennis and badminton as a teen at the Waegwoltic Club (and remaining a member until her late 80’s). Helen and Murray both liked to curl and were members of Mayflower Curling Club. Helen continued to curl until age 80 where the highlight of her participation was winning the Nova Scotia Senior Ladies Championship in 1978 with teammates Joyce Myers, Jean Armstrong, and Jean Thomson. They went on to represent Nova Scotia at the national level in St. John’s, Newfoundland in March of that year. Helen continued to keep active in her later years with league bowling in the winter and with the St. Mary’s Lawn Bowling Club in the summer.

Music was a big part of Helen’s family life too. Her love of dance originated in the Big Band Era and she could tap dance like a pro. It remained a passion for her entire life. Her sister Jean played the piano beautifully by ear and she and Helen would sing harmony and others would join in at many family occasions. Helen was a regular at her sister Dorothy’s Oxford Beauty Salon, which was a social gathering place for the entire family. She was very fond of the “Banacek” haircut that Dorothy perfected on Murray. Weekends would often find her at the Hubbards home of her eldest sister Mildred for dinners, drinks, lively conversation, and the beautiful scenery.

Helen moved to Parkland at the Gardens in 2013. Residents and staff will remember Helen and her red walker dancing on Friday nights to live entertainment by Chalmers Doane. It seemed like nothing could stop the woman who refused to show her age until the sad effects of arthritis and dementia set in. At age 93 she moved to Drummond Hall when the need for more nursing care arose. The staff there were so good to her, providing compassionate care as she declined which was appreciated by her family.

A “Celebration of Life” will be held on Sunday, July 24, 2022 at the St. Mary’s Boat Club (1641 Fairfield Road, Halifax) from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm where friends and family are invited to share stories and remember Helen.