Online Obituaries for the Seattle WA Area
Helaine E. Gledhill
February 24, 1931 - July 01, 2012
In Loving Memory
Helaine Gledhill, the only child of first and second generation Norwegian parents Henry and Olga (Casperson) Nelson, grew up in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle and attended Ballard High School, graduating in 1949.
She married Harry K. Gledhill July 28, 1950 at Ballard First Lutheran church. In their early years, they enjoyed fishing in the summer and skiing in the winter. Their first child, Jeff, was born in 1953. Their daughter Pam followed in 1954 and son Vance in 1956. The family moved to Kirkland in 1959 where Harry and Helaine designed and did much of the finishing construction on two family homes. Helaine did most of the wiring on the second home!
During the 1960s, Helaine worked as a stenographer and secretary for Boeing before pursuing her goal of graduating from college. She went back to school and graduated from the U of W in Accounting in 1975 (at the same ceremony as her son Jeff). Over the following years she held Chief Accountant and Controller positions at Princess Tours, Alaska Packers and Kelly Business Machines. Helaine also became a licensed real estate agent and helped all three of her children buy houses. Helaine was known for being an avid entrepreneur engaging in numerous home and self-employment businesses and seasonal work throughout the years.
During their 55 years of marriage, Helaine and Harry loved to travel and they especially enjoyed cruises in the Caribbean, European travel, notably visiting their relatives and roots in Norway and visiting Japan. When not traveling abroad, they enjoyed sailing in the San Juans and skiing at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon where they had a vacation home in nearby Sunriver.
The family wishes to acknowledge the loving care that Clare Bridge Silver Lake provided Helaine in her final years.
Helaine will be dearly missed by her children, their spouses, her 8 grandchildren and great-grandson.
Funeral Information
Memorial service will be held on Monday, July 9, 2012 at 2:00pm at Evergreen Washelli Chapel with reception to follow from 3:00pm to 5:00pm, 11111 Aurora Avenue North, Seattle, WA.
