In loving memory of Helen Christodoulou
As you may know, my loving God-Sister, Helen, was taken from us suddenly. I have been blessed to have such an amazing God-Family and would like to share that in lieu of flowers, the family will accept donations to help ease the funeral expenses along with the creation of an educational scholarship award to honour Helen’s memory.
Obituary: December 21, 1963 - April 8, 2021
It is with hearts broken and great sorrow that we announce the sudden passing of our cherished and beloved sister Helen Christodoulou in her 57th year, at Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto, on April 8, 2021. We are saddened and in disbelief that we have lost our gentle, considerate, kind, selfless, and respectful sister. She was taken far too soon from us.
Helen is predeceased by our parents Michael and Efimia Christodoulou (nee Ioakim). She was the loving sister to Chrisa, Tina (late Mike), and Kathy (Fernando). She was the proud and devoted aunt to her nephews Peter and Michael and her nieces Efie and Efimia. Helen was a private person and never complained about any difficulties she encountered. She did not expect anything from people and chose to live her life in a humble and modest manner. She was grateful for all she had and did not live beyond her means. Her simplicity meant all her possessions served a purpose. Her faith in God was strong, and we know that she is now in the hands of our creator.
Helen had a love for education and spent many years in University earning degrees and was actively involved in school council and student activities. Her interest in humanities took her to many parts of the world giving her a great understanding of others through their languages, histories and cultures. Social justice and equality were very important to Helen. Her exceptional ability to identify ethical behaviours and outcomes of decisions, along with her incomparable critical thinking skills made her the best person for us to discuss life-changing choices to be made. Her calm approach, genuine concern, and infinite knowledge will be missed by us all. Helen held many positions in her lifetime and brought great value to every organization she was part of. She was a teacher with the TDSB and was admired and respected by all her students and colleagues. Recently, she was a tutor to her nephew, Michael, who she encouraged and offered unconditional support resulting in outstanding growth in academic standing. More significantly, the bond and connection formed was the true reward for them both. Helen also spent many hours creating games, writing books and telling stories to Peter, Michael, Efie, and Efimia to teach life lessons and family values.
Due to Covid-19, we are unable to celebrate her life in a deserving manner. Our hope is to plan a memorial gathering in the future to commemorate her life. We are in the process of making funeral arrangements at St. John’s Greek Orthodox Church. Restrictions are in place, but limited attendees will be permitted. A few people have approached us asking to contribute to the funeral arrangements. We are truly touched by this thoughtfulness and will discuss the best way to set up a donation site to be communicated later for anyone wishing to give. We know that she will be missed by many family and friends.
Most importantly for us as a family is that we ask that you remember our sister as the remarkable person that she was. She was not spiteful, hateful, or vindictive in any manner and truly believed that it was best to say nothing unless it was positive. We can only aspire to have a similar pure heart. Helen was our eldest sister and set a high standard on how we should conduct ourselves. We tried hard not to disappoint her in our choices, but we know that she loved us unconditionally. Helen, we will always love you and promise to keep your spirit alive. Family gatherings will never be the same, but there will always be a chair for you. Your smiling face, whole-hearted laughter, love of dancing, and sense of humour will always be with us. Kαλό παράδεισο dear sister. May your memory be eternal.
Your loving sisters.
Chrisa, Tina, Kathy