Helen Folan

Helen S. Folan died February 10, 2007, in Manzanillo, Mexico just after a wonderful evening out with daughter Mary Claire and friends from Portland, Ore. She enjoyed life to the last.

Helen Folan was born to Pascal and Aurore Sirois on March 9, 1912, in Jefferson, S.D. She was raised with her brother and three sisters in Sioux City, Iowa, and in 1931 married Daniel Folan, also from Sioux City. They made their home in Iowa where Daniel, Mary Claire and Susanne were born.

Helen and Dan migrated to California in 1943 where Jeanne was born. In 1945 they decided to make a move to Washington state, and finally in 1947 settled on Vashon Island where the youngest, Margaret Cecile (Cissy), was born.

There Helen tended to her five children and large home and acreage at Cove where her love of gardening blossomed. She grew beautiful vegetables, fruits and flowers and oversaw the care of a variety of farm animals with the help of her children and her mother Aurore.

Helen and Dan started and operated their own business, Top of the Isle Real Estate, for a number of years. When Dan had a stroke, Helen decided it was time for them to retire and go look for new worlds.

In 1965 Helen and Dan first drove to Mexico. It was love at first sight. Each year they visited a new area and in 1968, after spending a winter in Manzanillo, they decided it was home.

They lived in a tiny house in a Mexican neighborhood for several years, becoming good friends with the Mexican families as well as other snow birds from the United States and Canada, and naturally, Helen had a gorgeous garden.

Dan passed away in 1977 and Helen returned to Seattle for a time, resuming her yearly Mexican visits after a few years.

Helen moved into the beautiful Roca del Mar in 1989 as a permanent resident where she made many lasting friendships. She lived with daughter Mary Claire for the past seven years. Daughter Jeanne with husband Nick Nelson bought a unit at Roca several years ago and live there for six months every year.

Helen loved people and loved life. She had a wonderful, infectious sense of adventure and indomitable spirit.

Mexico was her paradise, and she loved everything about it: the people, the food, the way of life, the place itself. She marveled at its beauty every day.

Survivors include her sister, Theresa Larsen, children Dan, Mary Claire, Jeanne and Cissy, 11 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Daughter Susanne died in October 2004.

A grave-side memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. June 30, at the Vashon Island Cemetery