ROBERTSON, Helen Waimel, A.O.C.A. - on Wednesday, May 22nd, at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, daughter of the late George and Alide Waimel, wife of the late A. Blake Robertson, predeceased by her daughter , Linda Staebler, sister to Endla Loney of Kitchener , and the late Hants and Olaf Waimel, sister-in-law to the late Vera Haist. Stepmother of John and his wife Yvonne Robertson, the late Jane Snyder Beckett and her husband Ray, Judy and her late husband Ted White, Lon and his wife Margaret Robertson and Margaret and her husband Ray Nagy. Also survived by her nieces and nephews Gioja Loney, Michael Loney, Sherry Curnew, Gayle Waimel, Endla Anderson, Victor Waimel, Anita Bateman, and 15 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.
Helen, a renowned sculptor, was born in Tartu, Estonia in 1917 and emigrated to Canada in 1926. At the age of 13, Helen won a scholarship to the Ontario College of Art where she graduated form the four year program in three years and was awarded the Governor General’s Gold Medal. Helen was a member of the Sculptors’ Society of Canada and made a considerable contribution to the sculptor scene in Canada. Her commissions included: Crest for the Niagara Falls City Hall; twelve Canada Coats of Arms and all ten Provincial Coats of Arms; Shields of Arms for Ontario Law Courts for various cities; architectural and ornamental sculpture for Workman’s Compensation Rehabilitation Centre; sculpture for Cobourg Municipal Building; Stations for the Cross for St. Kevin’s Roman Catholic Church, Welland; work for St. Denis School, St. Catharines; large mural, 30 x 10 feet for Ryerson Institute of Technology, Toronto; Goddess suspended over pool in the Colonnade, Toronto. She also created many donated works of art and has numerous pieces in private collections. Many of her artistic works will be preserved at Rodman Hall in St. Catharines, the Niagara Parks Commission Greenhouse, and in the Kitchener/Waterloo area. A publication in the Niagara Falls Public Library describes in more detail the extent of Helen’s work.
The family invites friends to the MORSE & SON CHAPEL (Family Centre) 5917 Main Street, Niagara Falls (905) 356-3550, on Saturday May 25th at 1 p.m. As an expression of sympathy, those who wish may make a memorial donation to a charity of their choice.
On-line guest register at
www.morganfuneral.com