Obituary of Helen Victoria Chaykowski

It is with heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Helen Victoria Chaykowski, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. Helen passed away peacefully on April 5, 2025, at the St. Boniface Hospital at the age of 90.

Helen was born on June 21, 1934, in Libau, Manitoba, to Metro and Mary Dolinski. She was predeceased by her husband Victor, on October 8, 2024, her parents, Metro and Mary, her brothers Harry, Fred, Steve and her twin brother Walter, her first husband and father of her children, Edward Miller, daughter Linda Alm, and son-in-law Laurie Main. She is survived and will be missed by her children, Doug (Lynn), Fred (Debbie), Brian, Beverley, and her sister-in-law Mary Miller and numerous grandchildren.

Helen Chaykowski… By The Numbers…

• ∞ (Infinity) – we’ll love and remember you forever Mom/Grandma/Helen
• 1,000,000’s? – the number of stitches in all of those cross stitch pieces she completed over the years.  All of the kids have a stash of these framed works of art.  They are amazing.  She was always working on the next one.  She’d spend months working on one, then have it framed, and then give it away.
• 10,000’s – the number of treats (shortbread cookies, chocolate chip cookies, apple pies, muffins, raisin pies, butter tarts, $*! in a pan, lemon meringue pie, and more) and meals (perogies, cabbage rolls, ribs, chicken, and lots more)
  • Secret info… sometimes she would put marmalade in one of the perogies in a batch just to surprise the unsuspecting dinner guest
  • If you brought her a bunch of apples, a few days later you’d get an apple pie from her
  • If you visited her, you probably left with a bag of goodies
  • When visiting her, we’d start with a hug, and then head t the cookie bin
• 1,000’s – the number of random people she talked to and joked with throughout her lifetime.  Even in her final days, she was “kibitzing” with others in the hospital waiting area.
• 2025 – the year she went to heaven
• 1934 – the year she was born
• 500 – her favourite game was Rummy (500 Rummy).  She played every day.  Other games she liked to play were 3 Spot, Wist, Hearts, Canasta, Cribbage, Bingo, Break-open tickets and VLTs
  • Secret info… one of her favourite places was South Beach (not South Beach, Miami, but the casino in Manitoba)
• 90 – she was 90 years old.  That’s a good long life, but yet, not quite long enough.  We thought she’d be around a lot longer.  Even at 90, in the winter, she’d call a cab, go to the bank for some cash, and then do some shopping.  She wasn’t supposed to do this of course, but she was determined.
• 83 – “cheers”, “diborja”, “dybusha” – most people reading this won’t know what this 83 means.  Hint… it’s one of her favourite drinks.
• 25 – her standard Rummy game wager
  • Secret info… sometimes the grandkids would sneak quarters out of her Rummy winnings quarters cup in order to pay for their losses to grandma.  She knew but let them get away with it, with a smile.
• 18 – a completely random number for all those things you might not know about her…
  • Mall walking – for as long as she could, she and Vic would head to the mall in the morning, do their rounds, and then hang out with friends for coffee.  She probably said hi to every store owner in the mall at some point.
  • TV shows… Judge Judy, CNN, Young and the Restless
  • She went to Disney World and probably enjoyed it more than the little kids
  • She liked roller coasters
  • “What do you know that I don’t know?”  We have no idea where she came up with that line, but it was usually part of a conversation at some point.
  • Foods that she didn’t like… “um, there aren’t any”
  • She was always excited when kids and grandkids came to visit
  • Whenever we’d end a visit or call, she tells us she loved us
  • A numbers person… she was the bookkeeper for a few businesses over the years, and she was the default score keeper for games we played
• 11 grandchildren – Jennifer, Ryan, Christopher, Melanie, Jason, Brian, Donna-Lynn, Katie, Emily, Christian, Michelle
• 5 kids – Beverley, Linda, Doug, Fred, and Brian
• 4 great-grandchildren – Bentley, Madison, Emily, Aiden
  • Secret info… there’s another on the way… “It’s a boy”
• 2 husbands (not at the same time) – Eddy and Vic, both marriages over 30 years
• 1 – the #1 Mom ever.  She was a resilient person, who had many great times in life, but also had to deal with some tough times.  We, family and friends, always felt welcomed and loved.

We’re going to miss you!

A sincere thank you to all the home care attendants who cared for Helen and made a difference in her daily life; your excellent care, kind words, patience, and laughter during the daily visits did not go unnoticed.   We extend our warm appreciation and sincere thanks to the Dakota House staff. Helen’s daily interactions with the dining staff, housekeepers, activity directors, and every staff member at the front desk put a smile on her face; thank you.

As per Helen’s wishes, cremation has taken place, and there will be no funeral. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice.