Helen Richard

Helen Richard passed away on April 28, 2019. She is survived by her most beloved son Stephen Klein and his wife Esther, granddaughter Giulianna and two loved grandsons Joe and Steve Ayoub.

Originally from the small town of Marine City, Michigan, Helen was the daughter of Athanasius and Oleda Joure Christides. Her father’s position as a foreign service Treasury agent necessitated moves to New York, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada and finally graduation from the American School of Paris. Helen is also a Wayne State University graduate with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree and a Master’s of Public Administration. She worked for the Michigan Department of Social Services as an administrator where she acquired and kept life long friends whom she loved dearly. Helen from a large and tight knit Joure family always kept contact with the Michigan family and friends.

Helen made a career change in the 70’s and moved to Spain to begin a career in Travel and Tourism. Again she made lifelong friends. After returning to the U.S. she married Raymond Richard who also worked in tourism for Grayline of Miami. After retirement Helen and Ray were to visit Torremolinos Spain for 2 months every year until Ray’s death in 2015. She returned to her beloved Spain for several months a year until her illness brought on one last farewell trip to visit Spain and say goodbye to her friends earlier this April. This past November she visited France to celebrate the centennial of the end of World War One in which her mother had served in the Signal Corps under General Pershing with a group of operators known as “The Hello Girls”. Together with the producer of the documentary about the Hello Girls and accompanied by her first cousin Dr Sylvia Joure she was a guest of honor and received a medal from the Mayor of Charmont France where General Pershing’s headquarters were located during WW1. This was a most special moment for her.

A life of adventure, travel, education and friendship comes to an end. Te Amos Helena, Viva Espana!

In Lieu of flowers family would like donations to Suncoast Hospice Foundation.

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