Helen W Robords

VERONA, WI/GLASTONBURY, CT-Helen W. Robords, age 96, passed away on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019, at Four Winds Manor in Verona. She was born on June 27, 1922, in Norwich, CT, the daughter of Larrabee and Mary (Souter) Whipple. Helen graduated from Bulkeley High School in Hartford, CT in 1940 and from the University of Connecticut in 1944. At UConn, she joined the Pi Beta Phi sorority where she began lifelong friendships. After graduation, she worked as a home economics teacher in Manchester, East Hartford, and later in Hartford, all in Connecticut. Helen married J. David Robords in 1951. In 1956, Dave and Helen moved to Glastonbury, CT, where they resided for over 50 years. They were members of the Congregational Church in South Glastonbury. After her husband died, Helen moved to Wisconsin to be near her son and his family. Helen was a dedicated homemaker, cooking homemade meals for her family and making her children her number one priority. Later in life, she taught herself to weave and became an active member of the Handweavers’ Guild of Connecticut. She wove for 20 years, making many items her family still enjoys. Despite growing up in the city, Helen was able to spend many happy childhood summers at the beach. Her father instilled in her a love of nature and she passed along that love to her children. On summer days, she would often wake her children early for a day trip to the beaches in Rhode Island or Connecticut. At her home in Glastonbury, she spent hours working in her flower gardens and was a member of the Evergreen Garden Club for many years. Family vacations in Maine were a special tradition. Helen is survived by her children, Susan Robords of Springfield, MO and Warren (Margaret) Robords and grandchildren, George and Duncan of Verona, WI. A funeral service will be held at SALEM UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, 502 Mark Drive, Verona, Wis. at 2 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. Visitation will be held at the church at 1 p.m. until the time of the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be gifted in Helen's name to Elizabeth Park Conservancy, 1561 Asylum Ave., West Hartford, CT 06117 or http://www.elizabethparkct.org/. The family wishes to thank all her caregivers at Four Winds Lodge and Manor in Verona, and the team from Agrace HospiceCare in Fitchburg. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson Fitchburg Funeral & Cremation Care 2950 Chapel Valley Road (608) 442-5002