The falling asleep of a good and faithful servant brings joy mixed with sorrow. Joy in the hope of resurrection and life eternal; sorrow in the parting with those whom we know and love.           

Such were the emotions at St. George Russian Orthodox Church on Thursday, October 30 when the earthly remains of Helen Kaminsky were laid to rest. Born on December 22, 1944, she was 80 years old and had fought cancer for a number of years. A devoted wife to subdeacon Sergi Kaminsky for 58 years; mother to Larissa (Kurt) Sander, Christine Kaminsky, and Fr. Matthew (Krista) Kaminsky; and grandmother to eight, Gabriel, Emilia, Kyra, Ella, Sophia, Abigail, Luke and Nina, Helen Kaminsky committed herself to raising a devoted, Orthodox Christian family, embracing with her whole heart the faith which she accepted before her marriage.             

Wherever work took the family – they moved a dozen times from Connecticut to North Dakota, Idaho and Cleveland, Ohio before ending her days in Cincinnati, Ohio – Helen served the Church and those in need. Most notably, she was Head Sister at St. Sergius parish for 20 years and fulfilled the same position at St. George parish for another 12 years. Her personal labors and that of those she organized, fed countless clergy and faithful, decorated innumerable festal icons, mopped floors, cleaned out refrigerators, and a multitude of other mundane but necessary tasks, bringing order and beauty to her spiritual home. Ever ready to be ‘joyful givers’ Helen and Sergi have been generous supporters of numerous parishes, monasteries and church related organizations throughout the years. While in Cincinnati, Helen also quietly served the Inter Parish Ministries in Newtown, providing food and support to local families in need. Helen’s middle child, Christine, was her faithful assistant in all these acts of service. Since she has lived with her parents, she has also provided much of the care to her ailing parents over the years.            

Being matriarch of a family devoted to Church singing, the funeral services for Helen were sung by all the members of her family along with devoted friends and fellow choir members from both St. George and St. Sergius churches. Protodeacon Alexander Petrovsky conducted the choir. The services were led by Fr. Daniel Marshall, along with Fr. George Lardas, Fr. Ilia Marzev and Fr. Jacob Ponomarenko. Following burial at Kerr Cemetery a memorial meal in the parish hall was organized by Svetlana Pinkerton, Helen’s longtime assistant Head Sister.            

As so often happens in the spiritual life, this all did not occur without temptations. Sergi Kaminsky fell ill the day after his beloved wife’s repose, preventing him from attending the funeral. Thankfully, he had been at his wife’s side when she fell asleep, so he encouraged the funeral to be held without him. He underwent emergency surgery the day after the funeral and is still recovering in the hospital at this time. The family asks for your prayers for him. Moreover, as the family has taken over the financial affairs of their parents, they have come to realize that several poor investments over the years – previously unknown – have created a crisis. Funds are needed to cover funeral expenses and overdue bills as well as past and upcoming hospital bills. Follow this link to help them out: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support- the-kaminsky-familys-urgent-needs           

 May the Lord God have mercy on His newly-departed handmaiden, Helen, and may her memory be eternal!