The Pender Post Society would like to extend heartfelt condolences to its readers on the loss of Helen Allison, an island legend whose contributions to this newsletter over the last five decades have been, quite simply, unparalleled.
Helen passed away last month at the age of 99, surrounded by family in Sidney, where she’d lived following nearly 50 years of service in this beloved island community. A funeral was held in late November at the Community Church next to the Nu-to-Yu, followed by an open luncheon at The Legion.
Helen and her husband, Bob, moved to Pender Island in 1972, and she soon got involved with The Pender Post, a fresh upstart of an organization at the time. She was an integral part of The Pender Post over the years, holding the roles of president, proofreader and nearly everything in between – which apparently included the dues-collecting role of “legbreaker” for a time.
I was not fortunate enough to meet Helen since my family moved to Pender Island last year, but her presence has been unmistakable since joining The Pender Post Society. Her name jumps from the pages as I read through our archives and remains part of our conversation.
In February 2021, when she decided it was time to move from Pender to be with family on Vancouver Island, the first three pages of our newsletter were dedicated to tributes and farewell messages. Her love for farming was celebrated, as was the soft Scottish brogue she’d retained since moving to Canada in 1949. She also seemed to have a proclivity for being the first friendly face to welcome newcomers to her Pender home.
Her final contribution to these pages came in July of this year. It was a note of appreciation to all her friends on Pender Island, many of whom had gathered with her to celebrate her 99th birthday that April.
“Pender Island will always hold a special place in my heart, filled with cherished memories,” she wrote at the time.
News of Helen’s passing reached The Pender Post Society in a brief window before our publishing deadline. We anticipate further memories and an obituary will be published in our next issue.
As 2025 comes to an end, I want to thank everyone who has contributed to our newsletter this year – from the clubs and groups that send submissions each month, to our writers and photographers, the teams that produce, proofread and publicize our efforts, and to everyone else who supports The Society on these pages and through our other efforts.
I’d also like to thank all of Helen’s family and friends, who shared so much of her with The Pender Post Society over the years.
It really does take a village. Even if it sometimes seems that village is encapsulated in the efforts of one wonderful woman.