Thursday, April 25, 2024
On Aug. 2, 2022, Joy Helgeland – loving mom, sister, grandma, great-grandma and friend – passed away at Providence Hospital Everett at age 89.
Joy was born Jan. 8, 1933, to Horace and Vascia in Seattle. Joy attended schools in Seattle, as well as Bellevue High. Joy met through a mutual friend and was quickly smitten by a handsome Strykar Helgeland; they were married July 23, 1955, in Seattle.
Joy had many interesting jobs along the years, including as an employee of Washington Mutual Savings Bank, where Joy would take a taxi throughout Seattle collecting monies from students through the public school savings program. Also, Buddy Squirrel candy and nut shop, as well as making pizzas at the local take-and-bake pizza factory.
But the greatest, challenging, and most rewarding job Joy may have had was raising her four boys: Craig, Kyle, Kyran, and Chris. Strykar and Joy traveled on several occasions to Strykar's home and native country of Norway, visiting family and friends and, for one particular visit, one year living in Norway with their first-born, Craig.
Joy was a friend to many and a wonderful neighbor, living in the same home for 60 years in Edmonds where Joy and Strykar raised their boys and where many family memories were made. She enjoyed her time sewing with the local quilting group and creating many quilts that she gifted and entered in local shows.
She was a great baker, making pies and her wonderful Irish Soda bread that she often baked extra to share with family and friends, as well as sharing her delicious jars of pepper jelly.
Joy often spoke about her memorable four trips to Hawaii with her sisters and mom and her close quilting group of "Stitch and Bitch friends."
Joy leaves behind her sons Craig (Cathie), Kyle, Kyran (Christine) , Chris (Heidi); grandchildren Mike (Nicole), Collin, Corbin, Conner, Kaleigh (Zeb); and great-grand daughters Harlow and baby sister (due in August). Joy also leaves behind her sisters, Donna Fish and Anita Legaspi.
Graveside burial at Edmonds Cemetery and a Celebration of life to follow in September at the family home.
