- Date Of Birth: June 24, 1911
- Date Of Death: March 19, 2005
- State: Michigan
Helen Hubler, 93, died March 18, 2005, at The Meadows, Hospice at Home Residential Facility in Buchanan, Michigan.
She had been living at Whitcomb Tower in St. Joseph since 2000. Helen will be remembered for devotion to her family, love of travel, expertise in sewing and knitting, delight in Lake Michigan’s many moods, fellowship with her friends, and a passion for competitive sports (which would include bridge and basketball). The quilts and sweaters she made, the Arizona Wildcats’ shirts and hats, and souvenirs from her trips will comfort her family for years to come.
Helen was born in Blue Island, Illinois, on June 24, 1911, when she graduated from high school at age 14. Her parents were Otto Louis Stoll and Katherine Louise (McGrath) Stoll. She longed to be a nurse, but her mother had other plans. Helen went to the University of Chicago and graduated with a degree in mathematics and secondary education in 1931. She was on the varsity swimming and women’s basketball teams at U of C. She earned a Master’s degree from the University of Michigan in 1952. Her teaching career spanned five decades in Illinois and Michigan. She taught in Evergreen Park, Illinois, Three Oaks, Michigan, New Buffalo, Michigan, Grant, Michigan, Watervliet, Michigan, and St. Joseph, Michigan. She was high school principal in Grant and ended her career with seventeen years in the St. Joseph Public Schools, where she provided leadership in the local teacher’s organization (SJEA), schooled many Berrien County elementary school teachers in “modern math,” and enjoyed membership in the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Helen’s best friend and husband Robert Hubler, and her sister, Katherine Wood, preceded her in death. A daughter, Katherine Graves Vande Brake, of Harbert and Bristol, Tennessee, survives. Other family members are Katie’s children and grandchildren: Peter and Susan Vande Brake, Olivia and Annake, of Grand Rapids; Timothy and Julie Vande Brake, Sarah, Emma, and Timothy of Rochester, NY; Matthew and Shane Vande Brake of Knoxville, TN.
