We Remember

COLBERT, Helen Isabelle (née Szatkowski)

September 4, 1925 — July 15, 2026

It is with hearts filled with profound gratitude for a life so beautifully lived that the family of Helen Isabelle Colbert (née Szatkowski) announces her peaceful passing on July 15, 2026, at the age of 100 (50 days short of 101!)

Helen was born on September 4, 1925, to Mary and Joseph Szatkowski on the family homestead in the small community of Findlater, Saskatchewan. She lived through the Great Depression and World War II, and those hard times taught her lessons about the importance of growing up in a tight-knit family. Through those challenging times, Mum learned early on that having a strong faith, loving unconditionally, and working hard were the most quintessential aspects of life. Mum knew that life could be difficult, however having fun along the way kept the spirit growing. She never lost her ability to joke, laugh, kiss, hug, or flirt with the cute hospital staff, and if need be, to just make margaritas out of life’s lemons!

Leaving the family farm when she married to become an Air Force wife was quite a transition. Mums’ strong faith and “do it” attitude were her guiding principles, ones that she always worked to instill in her children.

Mum was an excellent chef. Her homemade bread and “goesinto soup” were legendary! To her children, she was tireless. When dad retired, they purchased a home in Westbank, and Mum was finally able to live her passion. She immediately set about planting ½ the backyard into a lush garden. Every evening during the growing season you could find her digging in the dirt! She would stay out long after the sun set, and her beautiful, plentiful garden reflected her dedication. We all have memories of harvesting the vegetables and then processing them. Canning season took on a life of its own… time was dictated by which veg or fruit was ready to go. At the end of the harvest, we would have a corn roast, and Mum loved nothing more than to see the butter dripping off everyone’s chins! Including her daughters in these activities was just the way it was. When each daughter married and started a family, Mum would come out to help us. Bringing all her paraphernalia to each of our houses! Canning didn’t feel like a chore, but rather a time to joke around, laugh, and bond. Mum would often joke with us about how easy we had it now, as opposed to when she was helping her mum… she’d say, “imagine doing all this with a wood stove and water that had to come from the well in buckets!”. Once we were done, we would open our canning cupboards, stand back, and marvel at the beauty of our work, thanks Mum!

Helen was that special person who could connect with anyone. She had a remarkable gift for making people feel welcome, remembered, valued, and loved. Her genuine openness and acceptance were a marvel. She forged special bonds with each of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, always making time to cheer them on in whatever they were doing. Whether it was recitals, drama performances, graduations, soccer, or hockey games, Mum was there, present, focused on the child involved, and she was eager to have them share their life with her. Sleepovers with her and her special homemade caramel popcorn are one of their favourite memories. She made each of her grand and great-grandchildren feel as if they were her favourite! The love she showered on them was returned to her. They all adored her and held her in the highest regard; they would do anything for her! Her love for her family was so deep and lasting, her hugs were pure unconditional love

One would not be able to define Mum by her age. She said more than once that if there were no mirrors and she had had a good night’s sleep that she felt 19! That’s how she lived her life. That’s how she was so able to fit in with anyone. Once, when visiting her grandson in the UK, we were all traveling back to London by train. Missing our scheduled train meant we had to hop on the last one back. The train was overfilled with kids returning to London from a concert in Birmingham, and we did not have assigned seats. This may have been a problem for most 87-year-young ladies, but not Mum. We were able to find her an empty seat with 3 teens playing cards. A short time in, I popped back to check, concerned about how she was doing in amongst the noisy kids. I had no need to worry about her, there she was, teaching the lot how to play the card game she played with her grandkids. “Don’t ever trust grandma”! She was totally enjoying herself! Mum was never concerned about someone’s age, religious beliefs, race, or gender, she always said she just saw the love of God in everyone’s face. I believe that was her gift to her genuine acceptance of everyone she met. She had the remarkable gift for making people feel welcome, remembered, valued, and loved.

Helen wore several hats in her life. She worked nights at a bakery, worked at the lunch counter at Woolworth’s (we thought the milkshakes were free, so we would bring our friends in for a treat!), an assistant at McCloud’s department store, manager/buyer for Toys and Wheels, and finally as a Homemaker. She was accepted into the initial government pilot program for Homemakers at Okanagan College. Her work enabled individuals to remain in their own homes with assistance. Mum also had a creative side, she took classes in pottery, painting, and resin art. Most notably, Mum was an excellent seamstress, sewing our clothes as children and adults. She sewed our wedding dresses, her grandchildren’s baptismal gowns, and her granddaughters’ first communion dresses. Her daughters learned from one of the best!

Helen was predeceased by her husband, Bill Colbert; sisters: Nellie, Mary, and Margaret; brothers: Benjamin, Walter, and Albert; grandson Matthew Colbert; son-in-law Denis Murphy; and brother-in-law Fred Harrop.

She is survived by her children Margret Greenwood (Doug), Donna Murphy (Denis), Robert (Josephine) (Trudy), and Linda Pagliocchini (Peter); 12 grandchildren, and 16 ½ great-grandchildren; brothers Aloise (Eleanor), Edward (Vera), brother David Szatkowski, and sister Olive Harrop; and extended family, together with countless friends whose lives she enriched over a century.

The family wishes to express their deepest gratitude to Dr. Christine Hoppe (Mum praised and valued your caring spirit, thank you so much) and all the staff at Kelowna Central Hospice (she looked forward to Troy’s backrubs). Thank you all.

Helen taught us that a life is measured not simply by years, but by faithfulness, friendships made, kindness shared, laughter enjoyed, and love freely given.

She will be remembered and loved by all who knew her.

This is the recipe of life
Said my mother
As she held me in her arms as I wept
In the garden each year
They will teach you
That people too
Must wilt
Fall
Root
Rise
In order to bloom

– Rupi Kaur

Prayers will be said on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 7:00 PM (PDT), located at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 1346 Gordon Dr, Kelowna, BC.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, July 24, 2026, at 11:00 AM (PDT), also located at St. Pius X Catholic Church, with Father Biju Antony presiding. If you are unable to attend in person, please join the family online by Livestream at the time of the service (see below), a recording will be made available to view in 3-5 days.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to St. Pius X Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

If you wish to send a condolence, post photos, or share a memory, please scroll down the page to the area called “Condolences”.

LIVESTREAM provided by St. Pius X Catholic Church:

www.youtube.com/@stpiusxkelowna7859

Prayer Service
Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 7:00 PM (PDT)

Service
Friday, July 24, 2026, at 11:00 AM (PDT)

Location
St. Pius X Catholic Church

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St. Pius X Society of St. Vincent de Paul Link: www.stpiusx.ca/society-of-st-vincent-de-paul

 


Service Information

Service Details

The prayer service for COLBERT, Helen Isabelle (née Szatkowski) is scheduled for Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 7:00 PM (PDT) at located at 1346 Gordon Dr, Kelowna, BC, .


The service for COLBERT, Helen Isabelle (née Szatkowski) is scheduled for Friday, July 24, 2026, at 11:00 AM (PDT). Below you will find the map for the service location and the contact information should you have any questions.

Address & Contact for Service Location:

St. Pius X Catholic Church

1346 Gordon Dr, Kelowna, BC

Phone:

Special Requests:

None.

Funeral Pointers:

 


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