Helen Tyler Johnson

Nov. 30, 1921 – May 19, 2013: MISSOULAâ�,��**– Our beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother Helen, 91, of Missoula, passed naturally and peacefully at her home, in her daughter's arms, surrounded by her family and listening to her favorite Hawaiian songs. Her passing has left a great void in our family; we will be grieving her loss forever. However, we take comfort in knowing how well she completed this phase of her journey and that she will be laid to rest with her mother and best friend, Beatrix Carter Tyler (Gramma Bea), her brother Alton Tyler, her forefathers and many Hawaiian nieces, nephews and cousins who have been buried in family cemeteries on Oahu.

Mom is a descendant of the prominent kama'aina Lane Hawaiian family, which began with the marriage of an Irish sea captain with the name Lane and a member of the royal Hawaiian family. Of note, the Lane family includes six brothers who smuggled in arms from Europe (and were later apprehended and temporarily imprisoned) to support the failed Hawaiian Revolution (against the United States). A Lane family member also was a mayor of Honolulu.

Helen was born in Honolulu, spent her childhood on the island of Hawaii, where she attended Hilo High School, St. Andrew's Priori on Oahu, and boarding school in San Diego. While in San Diego in 1943, she married Bruce H. Johnson Sr., who was in the Army Air Corps during World War II. She moved with her 3-month-old son to Missoula in early 1944. Helen supported the family working as a telephone operator while her husband completed his law degree. She retired from Mountain Bell Telephone in 1982. During her career, she became the first woman to enter into the men's career system, working through the apprentice, journeyman and master programs.

She loved the ocean and was an excellent swimmer, a skill she maintained throughout her life. She was actively involved in a host of civic organizations, to include the Peace Corps (North Yemen), Eastern Star, White Shrine, Daughters of the Nile, Job's Daughters, Rainbow Girls, De Molay, Daughters of the American Revolution, St. Patrick Hospital Volunteer Guild, United Way, Hospice of Missoula and Women of the Moose.

An interesting note of her life in North Yemen was when she had to take refuge in the American Embassy, as Muammar al-Qaddafi was hiding there. U.S. warplanes had carried out bombings of Qaddafi's residence in Tripoli, Libya, in a failed attempt to kill Qaddafi. Vice President George Bush's wife Barbara personally called each of Helen's children to notify them that Helen was safe. In addition to North Yemen, Mom traveled to Kenya, India, Australia, New Zealand, Bahrain, Germany, France, England, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Luxemburg, Belgium, The Netherlands, Canada, and numerous visits to Oahu and her homeland, "The Big Island" of Hawaii.

Helen is survived by her children, Bruce Johnson Jr., Greg (Deloris) Johnson and Tyler (Jim) Coleman; six grandchildren, Tyler Fannin, Greg Johnson Jr., Leigh Coleman, John Bruington-Coleman, Sage Hartung, Olivia Coleman and Scott Johnson; three great-grandchildren, Allison Johnson, Zaccaria Johnson and Owen Poole; sister-in-law June Tyler; niece Kathy (Walter) Swann; nephew James (Bambi) Tyler; and four grandnieces and grandnephews.

A memorial service for Helen, followed by a reception, will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Holy Spirit Episcopal Church in Missoula. Cremation has taken place at Garden City Funeral Home. Following that, she will be laid to rest in Kaneohe, Oahu.

Read Helen Johnson's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.