Helen M. Shank's Obituary
Helen M. Shank was born in Mabscot, West Virginia on August 16, 1920. She was the oldest of four children (Ruby, Don, and Roy) born to Tan and Almeda (Allie) Stewart. At the age of thirteen, Helen and the family moved from Mabscot (near Beckly) to Charleston, West Virginia. In High School, she met and was “smitten” by Theodore Victor Shank at Emmanuel Baptist Church. They became friends, and later fell in love. At ages 19 and 20, Helen and Vic were married on December 31, 1939. WWII soon intervened, and Vic served in the US Navy. He never really went out to sea, serving as an electronics instructor in St. Louis, Texas and Florida. Whenever possible, Helen stayed on or near the base. When not possible to be near Vic, she stayed with her now married younger sister, Ruby, and her family. Such was the case on Christmas Day 1945, when there was a knock on the door and it was Vic coming home unannounced. He had been discharged on Christmas Eve, and had traveled all night to be with the love of his life. As was the case with many members of West Virginia’s Greatest Generation, Helen and Vic followed the course of the 4 R’s they had learned in school. These R’s included Readin’, WRitin’, Rithmatic, and Route 21 to Akron, Ohio. Vic quickly landed a job with Ohio Edison, where he would work for 34 years. Soon Helen was attending the Arlington Street Baptist Church (later to become Arlington Memorial Baptist Church). There she was befriended by Lorraine and Clarence Brown, who later in the late 1960’s were in the first wave of Tiki Village residents in Tavares, Florida from Akron, Ohio. Later this group from Akron in Taveras would expand to 10 couples. Besides the Akron friends, Helen had many other friends among Tiki residents and her First Baptist Family. At Arlington in Akron, Helen was very active. She sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, taught VBS, and was involved in the Missionary Circles. She later served in those same capacities at Tavares First Baptist, also adding working in the Crisis Closet to the list. In Akron, Helen sang both on the radio, and at Nursing Homes on Sunday afternoons. She also sang with two sisters-in-laws in a Ladies Trio. Helen became a LPN, when her and Vic’s son, Ted (born 1949), was in grade school. This allowed her to help provide a college education for her son. Helen was also active in the Akron North Hill neighborhood, where she was President of the Andrew Jackson Elementary School PTA. She could walk around the neighborhood and tell you who lived in which house. She kept in touch with many North Hill friends throughout her life. When Vic retired in 1981, Helen and Vic came to Tavares, and Tiki Village. They were snowbird nomads for 3 seasons, before deciding to live year around in Tavares. At that time, they joined First Baptist of Tavares, where Vic also was active, becoming an usher and later a deacon. Vic went home to be with the Lord on Thanksgiving 1991. This, of course, left a great void in Helen’s life. However, with her Tiki friends and caring First Baptist Family, she never really was, or felt alone. By this time, she also was blessed with grandchildren, from her son Ted and his wife Anne. After 32 years in Tavares, Helen left in the summer of 2013 to live with her son Ted and his family in Elmhurst, Illinois near Chicago. She died peacefully surrounded by her family in a Nursing Home on December 22, 2016. Helen is survived by her son Ted, his wife Anne, grandchildren Patti, Katie, Michael, and great grandson Teddy. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews and their families in West Virginia. A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, January 28, 2017 at 10:30AM at the First Baptist Church of Tavares, 124 N. Joanna Ave., 352-343-7131. A luncheon in the Fellowship Hall will follow the service. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to First Baptist Church, Tavares, FL. Arrangements have been entrusted to Steverson, Hamlin & Hilbish Funerals and Cremations, 226 E. Burleigh Blvd., Tavares, FL 32778, (352)343-4444. Online condolences may be left on the Tribute Wall.
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