After a long illness and decline in health, Mrs Helen Proctor passed away peacefully on Friday April 26, 2013 surrounded by her family.
Born September 14, 1922 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Helen was the seventh of ten children of Polish immigrants John and Mary Mularski. After graduating from Izaak Newton High School, she worked in office jobs and in a war plant. On June 6, 1946, she married Peter Edward Proctor.
Helen and Peter emigrated to Southern California in 1950, where their children Ken and Judy were born. The family moved to Garden Grove in 1956 and joined Saint Columban Catholic Church, where she remained a parishioner for more than fifty years. In the 1960's, along with duties as a Cub Scout den mother, Little League parent and "room mother" for her children's classes, she organized several reunion dances for Canadian ex-patriots in Southern California.
Helen was always improving the family home. She learned to hang wallpaper, and made curtains or draperies for every room. In her "free time", she attended classes at Orange Coast College. After learning upholstery there, she refinished and re-upholstered several pieces of furniture in the house. She was a hard working woman who wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty: over one summer, with shovel in hand, she dug and hauled dirt to create a backyard in-ground swimming pool for her family...and the neighborhood. For many years, Helen sewed all of her own dresses. And, from the time Judy was in kindergarten through sixth grade, Helen sewed every one of her coats and all of her dresses (complete with lace collars, petticoats and big sashes). When Judy started grade school, Helen enrolled in more adult education classes and ultimately found her true calling.
Over the next decade, as the first member of her family to attend college, she earned a Bachelors degree in English, a teaching credential, and a Masters degree from Cal State Fullerton. For the next twenty years, she taught reading to hundreds of students at Alamitos Junior High in the Garden Grove Unified School District.
Helen's grandchildren and great-grandchild were her greatest joy. She will be remembered for her strong opinions, the many barbeques, parties and holiday gatherings at her Garden Grove homes, her weekly trips to the beauty parlor, her homemade pierogies on Christmas Eve and birthdays, and her love of jewelry.
Helen is survived by her sister, Patricia Mularski Smith, her son Dr. Kenneth G. Proctor of Miami, Florida (wife Marcia), her daughter Dr. Judith Proctor Lemen of Orange, California (husband Robert), four grandchildren (Dr. Andrea Proctor Subhawong (husband Dr. Ty Subhawong); Dr. Matthew Scott Proctor (wife Sarah); Matthew Peter Lemen; Kathryn Lemen (fiancé Michael Caruso)) and one great grandson (Kai Subhawong). Her husband of 66 years, Peter Edward Proctor, predeceased her in December 2012.
Helen's family is grateful for the loving care shown to her during the year she resided at Sunrise of Tustin. The attention and kindness of all the staff there is much appreciated.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Diabetes Association.