It is with sadness we announce the passing of Helen surrounded by her family at the Northumberland Hills Hospital, Cobourg on April 23, 2026, at the age of 81.

Helen Coates was born to missionary parents in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). The family returned to Canada when she was very young and she was raised in Canada. Both parents and her brother, Les, predeceased her…her mom, Gladys in 1977, her brother, Les, in 2003, and her dad, Russell, in 2008.

She is also predeceased by the love of her life, Don Coates, with whom she spent 30 very happy years.

They travelled the world together: England, Egypt, China, Portugal, Africa, Barbados, Dominican Republic, and Panama Canal, A major trip included navigating the Great American Loop together in their “down east” trawler. Their final trip was by motor home to and from Tuktoyaktuk in 2017. One of their more memorable destinations was the mission station in Zambia where she was born, called Mukinge, where Don helped rebuild the sewage lagoon and Helen did volunteer work in the hospital.

Helen loved her career in nursing and spent 40+ years working in that field. After working for 20 years in various capacities at South Muskoka Hospital, her last six years there were spent as Director of Nursing. Her final nursing career years were spent in community care and in part time teaching for Georgian College.

After the devastating loss of Don in December 2019, Helen decided to move from her beloved Bracebridge home to Trenton and then Brighton, Ontario where Tammy and her family lived. Despite starting in a new community at the age of 75, Helen went on to become an inspirational volunteer and community member, as well as, a treasured friend to many. She developed a number of friend circles including the Presqu’ile Walking Group, the Brighton By the Bay Lunch and Probus Groups, and her Rummikub group, just to name a few.

Helen’s faith in Christ and her love of the Bible deepened over the years and she spent many hours attending Bible studies, focusing on prayer and her relationships with God and friends of similar faith. She attributed her ability to get through the many challenges of life to the power of answered prayer and to the strength and peace that comes through faith in Christ.

She will be deeply missed by her children, whom she loved dearly, Tamara (Cory) and Jonathan (Jess), and her stepdaughters, Julie (Rick), Sherri (Steve), and Susie (Morgan). Also by her special sisters-in-law Beverley (Jim) and Janice (Jim), her nephew Brandon (Joanna), niece Ashley (Chris), and her 14 grandchildren, Sydney, Skylar, Leith, Harris, Tyler, Chad (Trish), Caleb (Jona), Jake (Kendra), Callie, Elizabeth, Russell, Rowan, Michayla, and Jaxon; and five great-grandchildren, Lucas, Abigail, Oliver, Octavia, and Victoria.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Fellowship Christian Reformed Church, 204 Main Street, Brighton on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. with visitation from 1:00 p.m. Reception to follow.

There will also be a Celebration of Life in Bracebridge in the coming weeks. Details to be determined.

If desired Memorial Donations in Helen’s Honour may be made to The Pregnancy and Family Care Centre of Quinte West

Arrangements entrusted to the Rushnell Funeral Homes – Brighton, 130 Main Street (613-475-2121).