Gathering Painful Treasures

Helen has always approached life with unreserved enthusiasm, marrying when she was a 15-year-old high school senior to an 18-year-old sailor (Jimmy). Between them they served over 7 decades in the Department of Defense. Helen was a licensed mental health therapist early in her career, then promoted to senior management, including being the Department Head of Health and Wellness, Naval Medical Center San Diego, from 2001-2018. Family has always been central in her life – raising children with her husband (son Jesse born 1989, daughter Jennifer born 1990) and assisting her aging parents are her most meaningful and rewarding experiences. Helen was the primary caregiver for her parents from 2002-2020. Now retired, she enjoys competing in basketball and softball, playing flute in the Grossmont College Concert Band, small scale farming (vegetable crops, fruit trees, and chickens), studying philosophy, and riding her motorcycle. Jimmy and Helen celebrate their 50 years of marriage in 2024.