Honoring Roni Marie: A Life of Love and Compassion

On Thursday, May 28, 2024, Roni Marie Helander passed away at 11:01pm (NY time). She was a very happy-go-lucky woman in her earlier years. Always smiling, laughing, loving. My mom was an amazing woman. She was helpful to any who needed it. She just embraced life as it came whether good or bad. She was a very compassionate person. She put her entire heart and soul into everything. Mom also fought with her emotions and as a result battled depression in her later years. She was a flower child full of happiness, love and peace who didn't understand this new world and its lack of love for all. Her biggest wish was to see me happily married and making her a grandma. I'm happy to say that I was able to give her that wish. She was at my wedding, she lived with us for the past 2 years since the baby was born and helped out tremendously. It wasn't until her most recent stroke that everything started to decline quite rapidly. She always felt as if she was a burden, especially after the last stroke. We assured her in all ways that wasn't the case, that Grandma Roni was loved and wanted here by all. As if the stroke paralyzing her wasn't enough, her dementia also kicked in full force to further complicate her life. About 6 months ago she decided to move to California to spend some time with her sister. She started out ok, but within the first month started deteriorating in multiple ways. From that point on each day was a battle to keep her health and spirit on the up and up. On the evening on May 28th I received the call I'd been praying wouldn't come. Mon was rushed to the ER with breathing complications and it was there that she took her last breath at roughly 11pm (NY time). As hard as it it to admit, she's at peace now. Not a day goes by that I haven't thought of her and wished I was there to hug her and hold her hand in those last moments. She's now watching over her littles from above and smiling that smile I remember so much.