Obituary for Helene Eleanor Cabour
Helene Cabour, previously from Winchester, died peacefully at Brooksby Village in Peabody on July 18th. Her life spanned 9 decades and 3 countries, beginning with her birth in Frankfurt, Germany in 1930. As a teenager during the war, she was often sent to schooling far from the Frankfurt area to avoid wartime bombings; her own family home was bombed and the family forced to relocate. She went on to become trained as a technician working phone signal lines, one of the handful of women in a male dominated field - already a maverick in her time!
In 1954, she met Francis, a charming Frenchman and took the boat from Europe to Canada to join him in marriage. Three children were born in Canada and their fourth child in New York, where they lived until their move to Winchester in 1968. They were happily married for almost 50 years until his death in 2005.
Helene was a woman of adventurous spirit, fierce independence and courage, great creativity and style, and extreme generosity. She was the cornerstone of her family, which grew to include three in-laws and eight grandchildren. Countless hours of fun and family reunions were spent at “Oma’s cape house”, leaving wonderful eternal memories for all to share. Her gardening talents were legendary, and she leaves a lasting legacy as the “heart lady” of Winchester, where her thousands of quilted hearts adorned her tree at 10 Bacon Street every year during February, drawing admirers from near and far and spawning a new generation of heart trees, especially the large tree on Church Street.
Her open heart, humor and unique character will be forever missed by her countless friends and her four children; Marion and her husband Guy of Frankfurt, Germany; Daniel and his wife Jane of Boxford, Ma; Yvonne and (late) husband Frédéric of Vienna, Austria; and Louise of Boston, as well as by her beloved grandchildren Mimi, Julianne, René, Lily, Denis, Tanya, Jonathan and Julien, and her two siblings : Thomas and his wife Kathi and Christa and her husband Harry and their families.
In 1954, she met Francis, a charming Frenchman and took the boat from Europe to Canada to join him in marriage. Three children were born in Canada and their fourth child in New York, where they lived until their move to Winchester in 1968. They were happily married for almost 50 years until his death in 2005.
Helene was a woman of adventurous spirit, fierce independence and courage, great creativity and style, and extreme generosity. She was the cornerstone of her family, which grew to include three in-laws and eight grandchildren. Countless hours of fun and family reunions were spent at “Oma’s cape house”, leaving wonderful eternal memories for all to share. Her gardening talents were legendary, and she leaves a lasting legacy as the “heart lady” of Winchester, where her thousands of quilted hearts adorned her tree at 10 Bacon Street every year during February, drawing admirers from near and far and spawning a new generation of heart trees, especially the large tree on Church Street.
Her open heart, humor and unique character will be forever missed by her countless friends and her four children; Marion and her husband Guy of Frankfurt, Germany; Daniel and his wife Jane of Boxford, Ma; Yvonne and (late) husband Frédéric of Vienna, Austria; and Louise of Boston, as well as by her beloved grandchildren Mimi, Julianne, René, Lily, Denis, Tanya, Jonathan and Julien, and her two siblings : Thomas and his wife Kathi and Christa and her husband Harry and their families.