Helen Hosker, 88, passed away peacefully on May 27, 2020, with her sons at her bedside. She passed nine years to the day after her husband Graham Hosker; her son William also preceded her in death. She is survived by her loving sons Geoffrey and Graham C. ("Chip"); grandchildren Vincent, Emily, Clinton, and Justin; great granddaughter Raina; her sister Gladys Anning; and many nieces and nephews.

Her parents had emigrated from Birmingham, England, in the mid-1910s, first settling in Peterborough, Ontario, for a number years (and becoming, incidentally, great friends with the Hoskers, parents of Helen's future husband) before moving to Dearborn. A child of both the Great Depression and the Second World War, Helen was born in her parent's home on Steadman Street in Dearborn.

She had four older sisters, Florence, Evelyn, Mary, and the above-mentioned Gladys, who, following the death of their father when Helen was only eight, all pulled together to support each other though the hard times of the 1930s and 40s. This challenging start gave Helen an indomitable will, the strength to overcome all obstacles—and more importantly a generosity of spirit, an endless devotion to her family and friends, and a real talent for finding pleasure in all the simple good things that life has to offer. She often spoke fondly of the fun she and her sisters had playing in their neighborhood (and mentioned seeing Henry Ford himself drive by from time to time).

Working as a secretary with the Dearborn Police Department after graduating from Dearborn High School, she began exchanging letters with Graham Hosker, who had become a constable in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. They were married in Dearborn in September of 1954, and then began their life together in Truro, Nova Scotia, where Graham was stationed with the RCMP. After a few years, Graham decided to leave the police force and they moved to Dearborn to stay, where they raised their three sons, continued to work hard, saved enough money to buy a new house and save for eventual retirement, enjoyed holiday gatherings with family and friends, and lived a good life surrounded by people they loved.

Following Graham's retirement in the early 1990s from the Spiratex Company and Helen's from the dental office in which she had worked, the two of them, along with Helen's sister Evelyn, moved to a senior condominium complex west of Hollywood, Florida, not far from where their son Chip had been living with his family (near Fort Lauderdale) and close to where Helen's sisters Mary and Gladys had moved a few years previously with their respective husbands. They loved the sun and warmth of Florida, the fresh seafood and citrus fruit, and the company of the friends and family who were nearby, not to mention spoiling their grandchildren (as grandparents do). Helen took some decorative pottery classes and Graham became a member (and later president) of the computer club at their retirement community, among the numerous other activities that they availed themselves of.

After more than a decade in Florida, Helen and her husband decided to move back to Dearborn in 2005; her sisters had moved elsewhere, and the summer heat and threat of hurricanes began to wear on them. The moving van had just gotten out of the area on its way to Dearborn when Hurricane Katrina struck, causing a lot of damage to the condominium they had just left, proving their instincts absolutely correct.

They moved into Henry Ford Village and resumed their social activities in the Dearborn area, often having dinner with their sons Geoffrey and William (sadly, William passed away in early 2006), participating in Rotary Club activities, and sharing holiday dinners with the handful of extended family members who still remained in the area. Following her husband's death in May 2011, Helen, a fiercely independent woman, moved to her last place of residence in Dearborn, Hubbard Manor West, where she made a new set of friends, drove by herself to go shopping and to lunch with friends, and attended church services and the monthly spaghetti dinners at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church. She continued to spend time frequently with Geoffrey and Chip (who returned to the Dearborn area himself in 2010), going out to dinner with them several evenings per week and speaking to each of them by phone every night before she went to bed. Although her health slowly declined over her final few years (always thinking of others, she decided that osteoporosis was making it it too difficult to drive safely and gave it up of her own accord), she continued to maintain her positive outlook, her generosity to friends and family—and her love of the sport of tennis (she adored Roger Federer).

She will be deeply missed by those who loved her.

The service for Mrs. Hosker will be broadcasted on Zoom. Please join the family at 10:45am on Tuesday for the 11:00 service. The following link will bring you to the Zoom video. Some devices will require the downloading of the Zoom application.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84610410654

Interment at Michigan Memorial Park in Flat Rock.