HELEN M. FRANK (nee Baron) age 101. Beloved wife of the late Wencel A.; mother of Robert (deceased), Helen Napoli (Carl), Katherine McFarland (Jim) and Christine Ascherman; grandmother of nine, great-grandmother of 16; aunt and great-aunt of many. Passed away November 27, 2020. Funeral Mass Thursday, December 3, St. Vitus Church (6019 Lausche Ave.) at 11:00 A.M. where friends may call 10:30 A.M. until time of her Mass (facemasks required). Interment Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery.

HELEN M. FRANK, what a remarkable woman!  Helen Frank lived longer than most do, and longer than most of us can hope to live in this world.  She was born on Sunday July 13th, 1919.  She lived a grand total of 101 years, 4 months, and 14 days and you had better believe that she would want credit for each and every one of them!   In her lifetime, she mourned the loss of her beloved husband Wencel of 73 years, and saw the departure of many, many loved ones go before her, those that she had hoped to see again one day in heaven (but not too soon!).  On Friday, November 27 ^th , 2020, Helen joined them.  She is a great loss for us still living; but it was finally her time.

Helen was an incredible blessing to all of us.  It is impossible for one or two people to describe all the virtues and qualities of one who has lived for such a long time and touched so many people.  We each have our own stories, our own cherished memories of our interactions, and our personal relationship with her.  Those memories can fill books.

Here are just a few things we will remember about her:

Helen was an elegant and sophisticated lady, and a woman of great beauty.  Though she possessed those qualities, she lived a simple life, a humble life, and a life marked by immense love.

She did not have grandiose ideas of travelling adventures.  She seldom traveled beyond a few miles from her home.  Helen's home was her sanctuary and small museum.   She was not materialistic.  Rather than big material items, her treasures were the small gifts (some handmade and some not) that were given to her by her children and grandchildren. These items were lovingly displayed throughout the house and never discarded...no matter how old they were. To her, they represented love; the love and memories she treasured. She never desired much, but this was important to her.  She loved nature and animals.  She had her garden, flowerbeds, and bird feeders, which she enjoyed tending to.  She cherished the loyal companionship of her pets throughout the years.  Being around her, and in her environment, brought a presence of peace, comfort, and safety and a feeling that all is ok.  It was easy for all of us to fall asleep in her warm, cozy, house.  As she aged, she needed help in caring for herself and her things.  She strived for self-reliance, and wanted to accomplish as much on her own accord, if she was able.  She was always thankful, grateful, and generous to those that helped her, and she spoke highly of others.  She was loyal, giving, generous with what she had, faithful and possessed great humility.

She thoroughly enjoyed conversation.  She was easy to talk with because all one had to do to get the conversation started was to say "Hello," and she would take it from there.   She was eloquent in speech and had an incredible knack for detail.  Not only were details important in everything she did, they were also important in everything she said, and in every story she told.  She would recall every point in time, place, or event; one almost had the experience of being "there". What amazing conversations and stories we all had with her! Through her, we were able to learn a lot about her, and about others from our past, which was truly a blessing.  Though she conversed much, she never gossiped or talked bad about anyone.  She praised her neighbors, her landscaper, her caretakers, her family, and friends.  She was also a good listener.  Anyone could go to her with a problem and she would listen.  She had a keen sense of right and wrong, but she did not condemn or judge, but instead would give a word or wisdom to think about, to lovingly guide one back in the right direction.  She was gentle, kind and patient.   She also had a wonderful sense of humor; conversation with her usually included much laughter.

She was intelligent and sharp. She enjoyed crossword puzzles and trivia, mystery movies, the Lawrence Welk Show, musicals, and the news, and she kept herself aware of the latest trends and what the youth thought was hip.  She enjoyed chocolates and cookies and other sweets along with a glass of warm, or room temperature, milk while enjoying those things.

She was artistic.  In her younger days, she loved to sculpt.  Many of us now possess her works of art, and we will always treasure them.  Generous with her time, talent, and treasure, Helen would spend hundreds of hours perfecting one of her favorite pastimes, as she patiently and perfectly crocheted baby blankets for everyone who was expecting a child, full sized afghans for the grown-ups, and creating other items just because she loved you. When she made something for you, if it were not perfect, she would start over.

Finally, Helen had a heart of gold.  She loved her family, extended family, friends and pets very much.  She carried all of us with her, constantly in her heart.  She was always there to listen and be that comforting presence. Her gift to us all was her sweet, kind, loving, and humble self. She enjoyed her simple life and life in general.  Though 101 years, 4 months, and 14 days sounds like a long time, it all now seems much too brief.  We are all going to miss her kind and loving soul until we meet again, in heaven.

We love you "Helen", "Mom", "Grandma Frank", and "Aunt Helen"!!

From all of us:

Children: Robert (deceased), Honey (Carl), Kathy (Jim), Chris

Grandchildren: Jennifer (Jack), Barbara, Margaret, Vincent, Paul, Beverly (deceased), Lori (Paul), David (Reena), Diane (Phil)

Great Grandchildren: Halina, Max, Amanda, Alyssa, Angela, Austin, Vincent, Marcella, Dominic, Jeffrey, Benny, Jared, Luke, Simon, Maximus, Anamika