Helen Lood

ASHEVILLE-Helen Lood, 72, died Thursday, December 9, 2021 at Mission Hospital in Asheville.

Helen Lood (1949-2021)
On December 9th, 2021, Helen Lood passed away at the age of 72 after complications arising from a brief illness.
She was born in Germany, in the beautiful town of Landshut, situated on the banks of the River Isar in Lower Bavaria. Helen, her sisters, and parents made the journey across the Atlantic to Ellis Island in New York, in 1951. Helen was raised in Chicago and lived in Round Lake and Skokie, IL, and Asheville, NC.
Helen was an exceptional wife and mother–she cared deeply for her family and neighbors. After raising two children, she regularly worked in a voluntary capacity at Emily Oaks Nature Center in Skokie, working with children and the elderly, sharing her deep knowledge of nature and her arts & crafts skills to promote environmental awareness. A skilled woodcarver, she volunteered at the Skokie Senior Center, teaching carving skills and developing lifelong friendships.
Possessing a solid wit, Helen had a strength of character that helped her navigate a lifetime of medical challenges from arthritis and other ailments. Fiercely intelligent, Helen never met a debate she couldn't win, or a game of Trouble, Chutes & Ladders, or poker she didn't love playing with her grandchildren.
Helen found greater peace and joy after retiring with her husband and moving to Asheville, NC, closer to her daughter, Tracy; son-in-law, Niall and grandchildren, Quin and Levi, and able to enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Smoky Mountains. Living part of the year in Asheville and the other in Florida's "Sun Coast" just outside of Clearwater, she preferred the mountains' cool climate and spent her days spoiling her beloved husband, Allen, and their fur baby, George. In addition, she lived for visits from her son, Tom, and his fiancé Christina, from Chicago, grandchildren, and other family members and friends.
An avid reader, Helen could read a book a day, finish the Chicago Tribune's daily crossword, and play a mean game of Words with Friends. Helen's creativity knew no bounds, whether cooking or baking, sketching, arranging flowers, or taking photographs. She was a keen observer of nature and people. Private, incredibly strong, deeply generous, endlessly funny, and caring—Helen will always be loved, missed, and fondly remembered by all who knew her.
Wife to Allen. Mother to Tom (Christina) and Tracy (Niall). Sister to Vera and Dori. Sister-in-Law to Linda and Gary. Grandmother to Morgan, Joshua, Quin, and Levi. Aunt to Lori, Eric, Adam, Melissa, Heather, and Frank. Though mother of two children, Helen was called mom by many of her children's friends, including Dan, Lisa, and Scott.

In keeping with her love for the environment, Helen will be memorialized after a private family service at The Clay-Barnette Aquamation Center in Shelby, NC.