Helen passed away quietly at her home. An amazing woman, a role model to her family and friends, and a life well lived.

Born and raised in Vancouver, B.C., daughter of Bertram and Maryanne Stevenson (Cook), and younger sister of Douglas Coney Stevenson. After college, she married Richard Galpin and after World War II they moved to Detroit so Richard could complete his Pediatric training. A devoted mother, she raised four children: Kenneth, Peter, Lindley and Sheila.

She was a graduate of UBC (Vancouver, British Columbia) in Social Work. After raising her family, she returned to graduate school and received her Masters Degree in Social Work from Wayne State University (Detroit, Michigan). After divorce, she returned to B.C., had a full career as a medical social worker at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops, B.C. and retired to Comox on Vancouver Island.

A woman of incredible spirit, an avid traveler and sailor her adventures were legendary: solo-trekking the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan, sailing to the Queen Charlotte Islands, road trips to Mexico were but a very few of these.

Her love of art and music and a compulsion for community service led her to found art centers, jazz festivals and kite festivals in the Detroit area as she raised her family.

She is survived by her children: Peter, Lindley, and Sheila. Her grandchildren: Karen and Amy Wilmot, Thyra Carnes and Nedra Meredith, Akira and Mikiko Galpin. Her great-grandchildren: Walter, Ella, Daniel and Samuel.

A devoted lover of animals she was companion to furry-feathered-family to her last days.

A perpetual prize has been established in her name at UBC.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made at: http://memorial.supporting.ubc.ca/helen-stevenson-galpin/.

As her family, we thank you.

A Celebration of her life will take place in Comox on Saturday, January 26th, 2013 please contact the family for further information (808-877-7710).

Helen was an amazing influence
on all who knew her.
A calm, steady, strong,
gentle hand on the helm.

Omnia Vincit Assiduitas