Helen Rose Linetsky

I will miss Helen’s knowledge of opera and concert dates. I will miss travelling together and laughs at the poolside in Florida.. I will miss you good friend

Karen and I are very sorry for your loss. I have very fond memories of your mother. May her memory be a blessing.

Deepest condolences to the Linetsky families. May she rest in peace

We were so saddened to hear about the passing of Helen. Every time you think of her, may it bring a smile to your faces. Much love Carl and Lynn Zand

condolences to Helen's family, Helen & Carl my husband & I bowled together for many hears, I reconnected with Helen in the WOW group, we enjoyed movies, opera, and just hanging out. The last conversation I had with Helen, we made tentative arrangement for me to come to her house have a late lunch or early dinner, & watch a movie. We will all miss Helen.

We loved Helen as a family member. She and my mother, Rose Zand, were the best of friends. Our sincere condolences. Wishing you wonderful memories.

To Helen's family....As another WOW member who knew Helen for many years and spoke to each other on occasion, I want to extend my sincere condolences on her sudden loss. May the memories you share bring you a little laughter during these difficult days.

From Paul, Barry and Esther: eulogy read at the grave site by Rabbi Louis Sachs, Beth Torah Congregation. Helen will be remembered by those who loved her and knew her, for her generosity of spirit and adventure and dedication to family and friends, whom she held in such high regards. She made friends easily because she was always about spreading goodness through helping others. She loved participating and organizing. She was a doer. She often volunteered her time for other causes, from helping children with disabilities swim, to teaching them to read, to participating in charities and school events with her children, grandchildren, and friends. Princess Margaret was a school with 3 Jewish families, and Helen knew how to celebrate her beloved culture in a way that was fun and welcoming to others. She became very well known and popular in the schools of her grandchildren because every Hanukah she would make enough potato latkes for the entire class of both Cori and Leanne and would bring them to class and tell the story of Hanukah. In later years, whenever Cori and Leanne meet one of those classmates, they remember Helen’s latkes. When Helen's husband Carl passed, Helen joined a widower’s support and social group, the WOW group, and quickly lent a hand volunteering her time in organizing events and trips, and mostly, meeting new friends and sharing adventures. Helen taught all of us through her actions that doing things – rather than having things done for you — is what creates friendships and a sense of accomplishment. She was all about accomplishment in her own little ways and cherished doing and helping others as one of the best parts of living. When her grandchildren were born, Helen took the initiative to rent a cottage for one week every summer from her friends Louise and Craig Clark, where she could bring together the whole immediate family and spouses and grandchildren, to spend a week together every year for more than 20 years. This also brought her close to her most loved and cherished friend Elizabeth Power, who was a neighbour on Tavistock Road where Helen and Carl raised their family. Helen loved the cottage because she could spend a week with her family creating memories, from catching frogs and playing with Cori and Leanne, to doing crafts, swimming in the lake, lazing on the beach, doing puzzles and mostly cooking and preparing meals. Helen was an excellent cook and good food and the next meal were never far from her mind. Helen was a gamer, up for any challenge, many of which were unexpected. It was known by the family that Helen was terrified of snakes. One day at the CNE with the entire immediate family and grandchildren, there was an opportunity near the petting zoo to have your picture taken with a boa constrictor around your neck. Knowing of her fear of snakes, Barry dared her to have her picture taken with the snake, and to everyone’s surprise, she accepted the dare. From that event they have a photograph of Helen with a big smile on her face and a big boa constrictor draped around her shoulders. Through little life events like this, Helen quietly demonstrated lessons of adventure, humour, and courage to face life’s little events. Helen loved the arts and music and opera. She joined an opera appreciation class and went on many trips to visit famous opera houses in Europe and even Russia with this group. She supported the COC with donations and as a volunteer. When her children were still small, would take them to see The Nutcracker Suite at O’Keefe Centre, and to see and hear symphonies at Massey Hall. She had a Mervish theatre subion along with Paul and Esther and their spouses and until the last few months, attended faithfully, even as her mobility challenges mounted. As her children were growing up, Helen worked in the family drapery and upholstery business with her father Harry and brother Saul. She spent every day with family both growing up as children, and then in business together, and of course with her own family. She was always looking for ways to get her extended family together. Helen’s children remember so many events where Helen and her siblings Gerty, Saul and Kay (Catherine) brought everyone together, for Jewish holidays, and birthdays, and just because. Helen and her siblings were extremely close and set a fine example for their families. Helen was always close to Kay and adored their weekly lunches and chats, and was always so grateful for all the help and support Kay provided to her for family get-togethers and holidays, and later, health appointments. There are many fond memories of many here today of being together as a family of parents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. And today she has brought us all together one more time. For Helen, while family was first, together family and friends were everything. Reflecting back, this is the most important lesson Helen leaves us. We are all here today, connected, with Helen at the centre. Helen was the genuine thing – working in her quiet way to live an adventurous life and bring other people along for the ride, and always available and eager to accept any invitation to join the adventures of family and friends.

My favourite memories (yes we have many) of Helen are sitting rink-side watching our granddaughters play hockey while Barry coached. There were piano recital, plays where Lea acted and concerts that we enjoyed when Cori played violin and Leanne saxophone or they sang. Helen loved family and was so proud of our daughters as well as her own children. It was a pleasure sharing grandparenthood with her. Helen, you will be missed.

Paul, Barry and Esther. I am terribly sad to hear about the passing of your mom. I have very fond memories of your mom welcoming all of us into your home as we grew up. May your memories bring you happiness during this time of sadness.