Friends and family gathered recently for the celebration of life of former TWU Library staffer Helen Huizinga who died at the age of 93 on March 1, 2024.

Helen worked in the library for many years in the 1980s and 1990’s, first at the Vernon Strombeck Library and then in the brand new Norma Marion Alloway Library. Her smiling face was the first to be seen in entering the library and her distinctive Dutch accent could be heard by people passing by.

She loved being  around people. Her moniker was ‘Helen the great, whom we all appreciate’. Library coworkers and  former TWU colleagues recall her as “a  sweet, lovely lady, so vibrant, full of life and laughter.  Her energy was amazing, and so were her smiles! ”

“She was ageless and had energy to spare.  I remember the times she and I went to fitness classes on campus. I was feeling out of place among the young college students but there was Helen, 20+ years older than me, doing aerobics, not fazed by it at all. She was always a good sport and participant in whatever was happening.”

Helen was a gifted storyteller. One of her passions was telling stories to children in church and witnessing through the book she wrote about growing up in Holland during the war. (Apron without Strings. ) She was a popular and frequent speaker at campus events, sharing her deep Christian faith and beliefs.

“She took comfort in the promise of heaven and the reunion with loved ones there. “Whenever Helen or I would be going away on vacation she would say, Sharon, if I don’t see you again on earth I’ll meet you in Heaven. Very true, but it always made be nervous to go on holidays; I wasn’t as ready to leave for heaven yet as Helen was!”

“She was a Godly and respected woman–a fine colleague and really loved books and working in the Library—She will be missed.”