In lieu of flowers, Helen asks that family and friends consider donating to the Mary H. (Daniels) Blanford Fund. All proceeds will support the George Washington Elementary/High School Museum in her honor.

Helen’s beloved high school—later closed—has been preserved through the vision and advocacy of Mr. Twine, her former principal, who championed its conversion into a museum. The school’s roots run deep: before it existed, Black students in the area were taught in an old house and a small wooden church in North Port. From 1940 to 1945, all eight grades met together in a single building. The school eventually moved to a larger facility on Kenny Street and, in 1952, into a new concrete structure. Today, the gymnasium still stands and continues to serve the community as a cultural center.