Helen Frances Yanch (Nee Nolan)

Aug 18, 2021

December 14, 1919 - August 11, 2021

Mother was in her 102nd year and passed peacefully at Pine Meadow Nursing Home in Northbrook, August 11, 2021.

Helen was the oldest surviving of the 14 children of Edward (Ned) Nolan and Anita Plue of Actinolite, Ontario. In 1940, she married Elwin Yanch and moved to Flinton where she lived most of her life. Helen was predeceased by her husband Elwin Yanch, brothers Vincent, Leo, Jack, Kenneth, Edward and Bill, and sisters May Nolan, Terresa Hubble, Kathleen Regan, Marguerite Jerome, Reverend Sister Mary Andrea, Rita Burke and Olive Golden. Helen has been lovingly cared for by the staff at Pine Meadow Nursing Home, Northbrook for the last 8 years, and the family are grateful to them all.

Helen is the much loved mother to Carolyn (Bruce Hasler) of Flinton, Harold (Paula) of Halifax, Elaine (John Bolton) of Cloyne, Glenn (Vera) of Oshawa, Joanne (Warren Cuddy) of Scarborough, Edward (Helen) of Flinton and Marian (Harry Scanlan) of Stirling. She is Grandma Y to 19 grandchildren, over 40 great-grandchildren, and several "great-great" grandchildren. She has always been a kind, selfless person, totally devoted to her Church and family. As a family, she has given us the gift of her faith and it is a foundation for all of us. She raised us to be independent and to value hard work and education. She was proud of how we all turned out (even when she sometimes had her doubts).

Helen was poor most of her life, so she was extremely frugal, but endlessly generous with her love for all of us. She often showed this love through her baking. Each member of the family has a favourite treat that she always managed to remember and have on hand. We were thrilled in 2011 that she was well enough to co-create a special cookbook of her recipes to share the memories, secrets and her baking legacy. It is a treasured keepsake across the generations and we are all working to perfect the special recipes, but her magic is the missing ingredient.

Helen will be missed by her family, many nieces, nephews and friends. Friends were received at the Cassidy Funeral Home, Tweed on Friday, August 13, and at St. John the Evangelist Church, Flinton, Ontario, on Saturday, August 14, with Funeral Mass concelebrated by Fr Paul Njoku, Fr. Peter Murphy and Fr Joseph Machaj. Scripture Readings and Intercessions were done by Jane Scanlan Price, Emily Yanch and Rebecca Yanch. Pallbearers were Edward Yanch, Larry Hasler, Chris Yanch, Mike Bolton, Craig Cuddy and Paul Scanlan. Interment St. John the Evangelist Cemetery.