January 15, 1954 – June 23, 2011
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:2
Surrounded by her loving family, as she would have desired it, with a mixture of joy and sorrow we announce that Anne Helmus very peacefully went home to live eternally with her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. After a valiant five-year struggle with cancer, Anne finally succumbed on June 23, but we believe that she is now rejoicing and dancing in heaven. She will be greatly missed by Bill, her loving husband for nearly 33 years, and their four children: Diana and David Reitsma (and much adored Nana to Marshall, Adam, and Kyle), Sean and Anita, Jonathan and Paola, and Ryan. Predeceased by her parents, Willem and Johanna Bakker (Strathroy, Ontario), she will be fondly remembered by her six brothers: Bert (deceased on May 20, 2011) and Ellen of Strathroy, Ontario; Harry and Betty of Bradenton, Florida; Bernie and Irene of Whitby, Ontario; Paul and Lory of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Ralph and Diane of Palmerston, Ontario; and Wilmar and Melinda of Listowel, Ontario. Many other members of her large extended family will miss her dearly as well. After meeting while teaching at Calgary Christian School, with Anne teaching Grade 5, Anne and Bill were married in Calgary, Alberta in 1978, where their first three children (Diana, Sean, Jonathan) were born. From 1983-1985 they lived in Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea, where their youngest son, Ryan, was born, while they served with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Upon returning to Canada, they lived in Bowmanville, Ontario for eleven years. Anne spent some years at home raising the children, and also taught in local public elementary schools for several years, the final three years in Grade 1, while Bill served as principal of Knox Christian School. The family moved to Victoria in 1997 when Bill took up the position as principal of Pacific Christian Elementary School. Anne taught various elementary grades in the Saanich School District, with her final few years at Saanichton and KELSET elementary schools. Anne was always dedicated first and foremost to her Lord and to her family, but she was also very passionate about her teaching, deeply caring for every single student. She loved teaching! Anne was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in September 2006, just weeks after she and Bill returned from a wonderful 5-week missions trip, serving in rural Christian schools in Zambia, Africa. Although she suffered long and endured much, she never complained, but accepted and took in stride all of these significant changes to her personal goals and plans. Her desire was to honour God in every aspect of her life. “Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.” That is exactly what Anne has done! She was greatly loved and will be deeply missed by all who knew her and were impacted by her life.
Heartfelt thanks to Dr. Patti Olsen for her genuine love and care, and to Dr. Jorg Michels and many other caring and competent physicians, nurses and other staff at the Victoria Cancer Clinic, plus Royal Jubilee and Victoria General Hospitals. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Cancer Society, or to your favourite charity.
Everyone is invited to a special service to celebrate Anne’s life at GLAD TIDINGS PENTECOSTAL CHURCH on Wednesday, June 29 at 3:00 pm. A private graveside service will be held earlier at Royal Oak Burial Park. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mccallbros.com.
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Meg and Bill Petrie
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John and Kay Heidinga We just learned with deep sadness of Ann’s passing as we were away. Her (an your) strong faith – her assurance in Christ in the face of a terminal illness, her testimonies in at VCRC will always remain an indelible memory, an example to us.. Ann will always be a “hero of the faith” to me. I know you will feel her loss beyond words; may Christ hold you in those moments and comfort you beyond words…
John and Kay
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Antoinette Hettinga Dear Bill and Family,
It is with joy that we hear that Anne is with her Heavenly Father and she is living the eternal life, but it is with sadness that we mourn her death, especially when she has left behind loved ones that will miss her so much.
Beginning my teaching career with both of you in Calgary was such a blessing, and then we moved on the the “baby” stage of our lives. With Anne having her first baby the year before I had Blayne, she was such a blessing to me and actually became the “mom with wisdom” that I did not have. She was such a blessing to Hilary and I as we adjusted to being parents.
Our friendship over the years, even though spread out, has been full of memories of camping, sharing, and caring.
We are thankful that you and your family have loving and caring friends and family around you in these difficult and challenging times. Our love with with you in thoughts and prayers.
Hilary and Antoinette
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Marti Elford Dear Bill,
I learned of Anne’s triumph from earth to glory from our friend, Ruhtt. How appropriate that the news should come to me from Zambia, the place were I met and served with you and Anne. You both blessed me by your faith in God, your love for each other, and your love for people. I pray God’s comfort and peace for you and your family. Praise God for our victory in Jesus!Marti
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Martha Helmus Dear Bill and Family
Ik hoorde van mijn vader dat Anne overleden was via deze weg wil ik jullie graag condoleren.
We pray for you and your family during this difficult time.Alle liefs Martha Renee en Bram
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Richard and Sue Krogsgaard Dear Bill,
Sue and I continue to be blessed by the short time that we spent with you and Anne in Zambia. As we have read the emails about Anne, over the past 5 years, we have been amazed by her faithfulness to the Lord. Her constant trust in the Lord continues to encourage us to walk faithfully.
May God bless you with an extra measure of peace and hope.
Richard and Sue Krogsgaard
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Piet en Henny Helmus Dear Bill and family,
Christ did not die on the cross in vain.
Anne is with Him for ever.
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Steve and Charlotte Marcus Bill, my brother Rick just called me with the news. The mention of your name brought back a flood of memories from years past, all of them positive. We pray of Gods comfort for you and your family during this time.
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Leon & Jackie Grootendorst Dear Bill, Diana, Sean, Jonathan, Ryan and Family,
Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.
Leon, Jackie, Jordan, Alexis and Cassidy.
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Leslie Skelding Heartfelt condolences. I knew Anne when we taught together at Stowe with Jan Engel. She was vibrant, energetic and just really nice! She will be missed. May there be a place in heaven where we can meet again.
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Joe and Janette Schaafsma Dear Bill, and family –
We remember Anne with deep admiration for who she was – a strong woman of God, and a faithful witness to His love and care. We rejoice with her that she now sees Him face to face, and all is well for her. Our sincere condolences to you, and to her children and grandchildren in the loss of one so dear to all of you. She fought the good fight, and has finished her race. May God grant this also for all of you as you look towards the day when you will be reunited. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Love in Christ – Janette and Joe.
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Debra French Bill & Family,
Cancer CannotCancer is limited-
It cannot erase love,
It cannot shatter hope,
It cannot overpower faith,
It cannot harm friendship,
It cannot destroy peace,
It cannot cancel memories,
It cannot invade our spirit,
It cannot steal eternal life,
It cannot lessen the power
of Christ’s resurrection.
author unknown
Praying for you as you celebrate Anne’s life, unshakeable faith, mom’s heart, wife’s love, and her perfect heavenly healing.
May God hold each one of you in the His arms.
Debra & Ashley
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Iris Bos Our thoughts and prayers are with you. I believe that the angels are always near to those who are grieving, to whisper to them that their loved one is safe in the hand of God.
Iris
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Peter Van Huizen Bill
On behalf of the whole CTABC Community and myself, we offer our condolences. Anne’s verse, given at the beginning of the obituary, will be a wonderful comfort to you, your family, friends and colleagues. May God’s strength and comfort be yours to experience as you face the future without Anne.
Peter Van Huizen
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Jack, Joanne, David and Douglas Kimm We are so very sorry and sad to hear about your loss, Bill. Such a courageous woman who gave so much. She is, indeed, in His loving arms, wrapped in His warmth and glory.
I think of John 14, verse 27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Our utmost sympathies and prayers go to you and your family.
Jack, Joanne, Douglas and David Kimm
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De Guire family Bill,
Fabian, Barron, Joyce and I send our prayers as you grieve your loss. May God bless you, keep you and give you comfort.
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Dixie,Travis, Cole & Caleb Stewart Dear Bill,
While we are deeply saddened by your loss, we hold you & Anne in our hearts with a profound sense of love and respect. It has been said that “circumstances don’t make us what we are, but they do reveal who we are” … We have been inspired by your testimony of faith, love and courage during Anne’s illness. You have shown us what it means to live victorious in Christ, even when the pain is unbearable. We love you and will always cherish the life-lessons we have learned from your example.
May God bless you, keep you and give you comfort …
Dixie, Travis, Cole & Caleb Stewart
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nellie b. dykhuis Dear Bill, Anne and I were college roommates at Calvin in our junior year and suitemates our senior year. We stayed in touch. I was blest to know her. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your children and grandchildren for now, and the days ahead.
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Miki (Annemieke) Stewart Dear Bill,
I just heard through Gerrie Vanderveen of Anne’s passing, and I thought that it just wasn’t fair. She was much too young, especially as I remember her in her first year of teaching and then her consequent years with you, when you too joined CCS. Her life since I last saw her (probably in late 1979) has been very full with family and service in the Lord.
I will remember one of the last gatherings I was at with Anne–it was a baby shower for her and for your first born. She was vibrant then, and knew exactly where she was headed and what she wanted. I’m glad the Lord blessed you two so richly in family and service in Him through all these years.
You will miss her. My husband passed away Dec. 2009, and I miss him terribly, even knowing that the life he was living the last years were so difficult. You will probably have those same feelings for Anne. God will take you through, and His promises are for eternity, with a future gathering of all His children as we will live again in the most glorious place beyond our current comprehension.
I saw a glimpse of you at church when I was visiting Victoria with my brother Harro in April 2009–but I didn’t recognize you. I had hoped to meet you two knowing you were in Victoria, but I didn’t know it was you till you were gone and Harro told me who he had been talking to. God bless you, and your family!
Miki Stewart (Van Brummelen)
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Kevan and Veronica Mikkelsen Bill
You are in our prayers and may our Gracious Father ,give you the courage and strength to know that Anne is safe in his arms. May God bless and keep you.
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Shepherd and Ruhtt Mbumwae Bill
We send our heartfelt condolences to you and the rest of the family during this time of mourning. Even if we are separated by oceans, we at Siabalumbi and Namwianga in Africa, are united in the loss of the great and exemplary Christian woman Anne was. The Siabalumbi brothers and sisters had a memorial service for Anne on Sunday. They displayed all of Anne’s beautiful pictures that she left over here. Surely we shall miss her deeply. May God comfort you and your family.
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Sam and Jackie Buston Bill
We have been so amazed by the strength Anne has shown throughout these years of her battling with cancer. Her faith was unshakeable and she was a great role model. She has made a lasting impression on all our family. We had the opportunity to have many discussions with her as Sarah was going through her class in Saanichton. Her openness and caring attitude always made us feel welcome to share thoughts and ideas. Anne always knew how to put things into perspective and what was really important.Our prayers are for you and your family at this time. May the love of Christ surround you and give you peace.
Sam and Jackie Buston
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Susan Campbell Dear Bill and Family, Anne was my teaching partner at Cordova Bay for 6 months in 2004. You are so right-Anne loved teaching! But mostly, she loved her family. I too have four children and we shared many laughs and stories of the busy-ness of a rich and full life with our ‘kids’. Her commitment and love of you all was foremost. Bill, you may remember you and I met when Anne was in the Jubilee emergency a couple of weeks ago. I saw a loving husband who gave his wife support to be courageous and to not fear the future. That’s unconditional love. As I said in a card to you before, love never dies. I will remember Anne always.
Sincerely, Susan Campbell
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Charles and Alison Packer Dear Bill and Family,
We send our sympathy to you all from all of our family at your time of loss. It is not possible to fully understand so we will not say that we do.
Suffer us not to mock ourselves with falsehood
Teach us to care and not to care
Teach us to sit still
Our peace in His will
And even among these rocks
Sister, mother
And spirit of the river, spirit of the sea
Suffer me not to be separatedAnd let my cry come unto Thee.
T.S. Eliot, Ash Wednesday VIMay God uphold you all.
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Margaret and John Liira Dear Bill and family,
The courage and faith Anne demonstrated during her long sickness has been an inspiration to us. Our heartfelt prayers and sympathy.
Cancer is so limited
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot conquer the spirit
It cannot steal eternal life.
By Anonymous
Our sincere condolences.
Margaret and John Liira
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M. Gail de Vries Dear Bill and Family,
May you all feel the love and comfort that only the Lord can give, and the heartfelt prayers of the people who have loved you all so much.
I will thank the Lord for all the great memories I have of all of you, here in Bowmanville.
With sincere condolences,
Gail de Vries
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Paula and Paul Cain and family Dear Bill and family,
We lift up the family in prayer at this most difficult time, knowing that He comforts those who mourn. Anne’s testimony was clear and we know that she planted seeds of faith in all aspects her life, We were privileged to first meet Anne when she taught our son’s grade 1 class at Cordova Bay Elementary School. Our sincere condolences to the family at this time. Paula, Paul and family
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June Zwier We are so sorry to hear of Anne’s passing. We just want Bill and the entire family to know that they are in our thoughts and prayers in this most difficult time. Our deepest sympathy,
Peter and June Zwier
Bowmanville, Ontarios
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John and Wendy Reaume We lift you and your family in prayer at this sad time of loss. How wonderful to hear “I can only Imagine” and picture your wife rejoicing and pain free in the presence of Christ. May this reality bring you comfort.
With love and blessing,
the Reaume family
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Heather Fawkes Dear Bill and family,
I am so sorry for your loss. Anne was such a great friend and colleague to so many of us. She was always willing to lend a hand and to be there for support for all of us. We know how blessed we were to have had Anne in our lives.
My sincere condolences.
Heather Fawkes
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MaryLou Vinet I wish there were some way for me to express my deepest condolences, my prayers go out for all of you at this very emotional time. We truly loss a great friend to our God, we know she is in safe arms of our Lord now. We have to be strong and remember all of your good times..our family is sending our deepest sympathy and prayers.
Gerry, MaryLou, Riley and Rachael Vinet
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Rena Hamming Dear Bill and family,
I am saddened by the loss of your Anne, wife, friend, confidente, mother, grandmother, so many of the roles that she had. May God comfort and sustain you through these difficult days. May He be your strength and guide. With love, Rena Hamming
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Jacqueline Nikolejsin Dear Bill and all extended family,
Undoubtedly, a little of Anne will live on in ALL of us. Anne showed us all how to live when life became difficult. Her unyielding faith, courage, class and tenacity didn’t go unnoticed—what a gracious warrior. Anne was, and always will be an inspiration to me and to those who knew her.
Much peace, joy, strength and faith as you miss your beloved Anne.
-Jacqueline Nikolejsin PCS
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gerben and charlene vanderveen Our thoughts and prayers are with you through this time of sorrow.
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Julie & Harry Petrat Bill, we are so sad to hear of Anne’s passing. She was an inspirational teacher to both of my girls – Aleisha, now finishing grade 7, had the pleasure of being taught grade 4 by Anne. Aleisha wrote a story called “If I Were A Teacher” about Anne that was published in a book of children’s stories. Anne clearly made a huge impression on her. Hailey, now finishing grade 4, was taught grade 2 by Anne. She helped Hailey immensely and will never be forgotten. Our whole family has been inspired by your family’s incredible strength during this time. Our heartfelt love to your whole family at this difficult time. xoxoxo
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Theodora Saddlemyer Dear Bill and family,
Les and I would like to express our sincerest condolences at the loss of your lovely Anne: wife, mother, grandmother, teacher and dear friend. We know you have many many wonderful memories and adventures to keep Anne close to your hearts and in your thoughts forever. Anne was a vibrant, determined and caring friend. We shall treasure our memories of the good times we shared.
With our love
Theodora and Les Saddlemyer
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Dalila and John Reimer What a lovely memorial of a lovely lady. We are so sorry for your loss. Be comforted with the image of her in heaven totally healed and in Jesus’ arms. May God comfort you as you mourn,
Dalila and John
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Hank and Carol Vande Kraats Dear Bill and family,
Bill, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this very difficult time. May you experience the grace, comfort and peace of our heavenly Father over the days and weeks ahead of you.
‘I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121)
Anne knew that well.
Hank and Carol
Winnipeg, MB
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Ron and Linda Dees Dear Bill and family,
Ron and I were so saddened to hear of your loss. We can’t imagine the pain you all are going through right now. May you feel God’s loving, comforting arms during this difficult time. Treasure the wonderful memories and the beautiful legacy that Anne has left behind.
Praying for strength for every one of you.
Love and prayers,
Ron and Linda Dees
Calgary AB
Bill and I have just heard of Anne’s passing.
We know, Bill, that your family will surround you with love and we send our very best to you. May you be aware of God’s love just now. Ann was a wonderful and strong lady. She will be remembered with joy and great affection.
Meg and Bill Petrie.