Helen Sawyer passed away on March 19, 2025 in Friday Harbor, Washington. She was 94. Helen lived a life enriched by faith, family, and an appreciation of everyday pleasures. Her home on the island served as an always warm and welcoming refuge for her children and grandchildren for 25 years.
She is survived by five daughters: Carolyn of Phoenix, AZ; Jane (Steve Maas) of Friday Harbor, WA; Florence (Lewis Holston) of Winthrop,WA; Mary (Anthony Yu) of Poughkeepsie, NY; Kate (Stefan Walter) of Zurich, Switzerland; sixteen grandchildren: Melissa, Pablo, Philip, Jonny, Michael, Elisabeth, Charlotte, Milo, Lily, Finlay, Noah, Christopher, Martin, Anna, Thomas, and Peter; and seven great-grandchildren: Nasyr, Neriah, Preston, Margot, Marlowe, Georgine, and George.
Born in Wausau, WI on July 7, 1930, Helen was the daughter of Howell and Florence (McLay) Humphrey, whose decency, commitment to community, and Welsh-Scottish-Presbyterian roots she held close to her heart. Her four treasured siblings predeceased her.
Helen graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1952 with a degree in Comparative Literature, reflecting a lifelong interest in literature and world cultures. Seeking an adventure in the west, she and some college friends first moved to Denver and later San Francisco where she worked for Pan Am Airlines in the heart of Union Square. She took full advantage of the travel benefits, including a trip to Guatemala in 1954 and, a year later, a trip to Honolulu, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Manilla ostensibly “to inform” Pan Am’s travel agency business. The latter trip she took with Sylvia Sawyer who would later introduce Helen to her charming older brother Philip. Helen and Sylvia visited both Kyoto and Nara while in Japan, selecting Japanese food over Western options, and in Hong Kong Helen had the foresight to purchase hand-smocked little girl dresses before she knew she would later have five daughters.
In 1957, Helen married Philip A. Sawyer and they raised their daughters in Salt Lake City, UT and Atherton, CA. Helen and Philip enjoyed an active family life that included skiing, sailing, and camping, including sailing in the San Juan/Gulf Islands and camping in Mexico. Philip was adventurous and Helen was an ever-agreeable partner, including strapping herself into the trapeze during sailing races and advising her daughters who complained about the cold during off-piste skiing adventures to simply “smile and you’ll feel warmer.” She also enjoyed book club and Bible study. In the early 1970s, she obtained a part-time job supporting community education about alcoholism in the early days of understanding this disease. She and Philip also started Recreational Area Ski Signs, a family cottage industry involving silk screening ski signs on high-quality plastic which covered the family’s season ski passes and a few ski-resort exploration trips. In the 1980s in California, she worked part-time at Sunset magazine, responding to readers’ inquiries. She enjoyed her creative co-workers and the frequent samples from the testing kitchen.
Helen was a dedicated correspondent, remaining connected to lifelong friends. She was often rushing to the post office with a letter for that day’s mail collection. She and Philip mailed a silk screened Christmas or Easter card every year for over 40 years following a tradition of her parents who also hand crafted their holiday cards. Her daughters received letters that kept them in touch with daily life and family news, and her grandchildren could count on a thoughtful birthday card along with a bit of cash.
In the 1980s, Helen and Philip bought a sailboat and began spending consecutive summers in the San Juan Islands and in the off-season visiting their daughters and friends in often far-flung places. After Philip’s death in 1999, Helen moved to Friday Harbor to be near family. She found friends through her active involvement in community fundraising events and in Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church, the SJI Yacht Club, and exercise classes at SJI Fitness Center. In 2002, she married Howard Schonberger, a neighbor, beloved island journalist and loving, kindred spirit. Howard and Helen enjoyed travel, family, and an active island social life until Howard’s death in 2015.
Helen will be fondly remembered for her warmth, and for her undemanding and unconditional love for her children, grandchildren, and her dog, Sandy. She was so appreciative of her church, her water exercise community at the SJI Fitness Center, events at the SJ Community Theater, and the natural beauty of San Juan Island. She was a rare person who truly believed what she so often said, “Everyone is just doing their best.”
Please join our family to celebrate the life of Helen Sawyer at Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church on Saturday, May 10, at 2:00 PM.