Helene Marie Louise Hobbs, 98, passed away peacefully on Sept. 17, 2021, at Fieldstone Assisted Living in Olympia.
Helene grew up and attended school in Brussels, Belgium. After graduation at the age of 18, she took an apprenticeship as a millinar (modiste) creating fashionable hats. Her sister, Simone, was a gifted seamstress who learned the sewing trade at a respected school in Brussels.
The two of them wanted to open a boutique in Brussels. In the meantime, Simone secured a job at a garment company sewing fashion, and Helene worked at a well-known department store designing, making and modeling hats. During WWII their plans were stalled. Her employer was visited by the Gustapo which had taken the names of all the young unmarried women with Helene’s name on the list. The employer warned and advised her to hide, which she did. She lived with her aunt in the country for the duration of the war. After the war Helene studied under a scholarship and graduated from the Brussels Conservatory of Music. She had a lovely dramatic soprano voice refined with voice lessons two evenings a week with a distinguished music teacher. Her voice was a perfect fit for opera, which she dearly loved. Later, she competed in a voice competition singing “Les Noces de Figaro” which made her eligible for a Gold Medal Competition. She went on to win and could have studied voice for one more year.
Helene’s plans would change when she met a handsome American GI. Chester T. Hobbs who was stationed in Belgium happened to meet a pretty Belgian girl when he and a friend were looking for a place to dance. Helene and her friend escorted the two GIs and the rest is history! Chester and Helene corresponded for about two years. During this time, Chester proposed and sponsored her passage to the U.S. She boarded the Queen Mary at South Hampton, England, landing in New York where her papers were processed before boarding a train to Seattle. She and Chester were married in December of 1947 in Poulsbo, Washington. They were married for 49 years until Chester’s passing in 1997.
Chester and Helene made their home in Kelso and Longview, Washington where she learned to drive, studied English and earned her citizenship. At the local Community College in Longview, she sang with a trio “The Cocquettes.” The group sang at various functions in the area raising money for the college.
The family moved to Aberdeen in 1956 when Chester was transferred with Weyerhaeuser. He was one of the original startup personnel for the new pulp mill in Cosmopolis. In Aberdeen, Chester and Helene raised three children in a house Chester built for their growing family.
The Hobbs family attended St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Aberdeen, where Helene was very involved. She was the Choir Director at St. Andrew’s for 25 years, active in the Guild and Vestry. She was also involved with the Grays Harbor Civic Choir and enjoyed participating in productions. She was an avid fan of local theater, notably the Driftwood Players. She was a member of the Local PEO BC Chapter and spoke fondly of her PEO sisters. She was extremely generous and caring for everyone in her life and grateful to live in America.
Helene is proceeded in death by her mother, Marguerite Renaud, her husband, Chester and her sister Simone August. She is survived by her three children: Marguerite Kurth (Marc) of Olympia, Robert Hobbs of Aberdeen and Rebecca Hartwig (David) of Chelan, grandson, Guy Hartwig of Seattle and her close niece, Danielle Schellekens (Ray) of Boise.
The family would like to thank the caring staff at Fieldstone Assisted Living in Olympia who were so kind and patient with Helene and her family. Also, many thanks to Providence Hospice Care who made Helene’s last days so much easier.
The family plans to have a celebration of Helene’s life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Aberdeen, the local PEO BC Chapter or the USO or Wounded Warriors Organizations.
Repose en Paix, Maman,
Nous t’aimons
Rest In Peace, Mom.
We love you
