Helen Marie Knudsen, formerly of Oak Harbor, passed away Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014, at Aegis Living in Issaquah. She was 93.

Helen was born in the family home in Mount Vernon’s Skagit Valley to Ole and Sigrid Helde Feb. 6, 1921. She attended a two-room school, Harmony, and went on to graduate from Mount Vernon High School.

She married Paul Knudsen Jan. 13, 1944.

She and Paul resided in Bremerton, Wash., for eight years until moving to Oak Harbor in 1952, where they raised their daughters. Helen was a longtime member of Oak Harbor Lutheran Church. She volunteered for many years at Whidbey General Hospital and was also a Brownie leader, belonged to the PTA and gave of her time to March of Dimes.

In 2000, her loving husband of 56 years passed away. Helen moved to Harbor Tower Village in 2009.

In her leisure time, Helen enjoyed baking and spending time with her family. Her family remembers her as a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who possessed a deep, abiding faith. She will be deeply missed.

Survivors are her daughters, Ardelle Knudsen, of San Francisco and Lea James (Bob), of Bellevue, Wash.; her granddaughters, Leslie Poole (Gabe) and Brooke James, both of Seattle; her great-grandchildren, Elias, Hannah and Ashleigh; her sister, Shirley Drake, of Seattle; and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 at Oak Harbor Lutheran Church, 1253 NW Second Ave., Oak Harbor, WA 98277. The family suggests that in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be made to Oak Harbor Lutheran Church or Habitat for Humanity, 380 SE Pioneer Way, No. 103, Oak Harbor, WA 98277.

Friends are invited to view photos, get directions and share memories in the family’s online guest book at www.flintofts.com Arrangements are under the co-direction of Flintoft’s Issaquah Funeral Home and Burley’s Funeral Chapel in Oak Harbor.