Helen L. Kincaid

Helen L. Bruns Kincaid of Bellingham, WA passed away on May 29th after a short illness. She was a resident at Woodway Assisted Living in Bellingham, WA. Helen was born in Yates Center, Kansas on July 4, 1926 to Harry and Ella Hicks, who were jokingly referred to as “the Hicks from the sticks”.

Harry died when Helen was just 16, and in 1947 she and her mother moved to Everett, WA to be with Helen’s sister Betty Hall. She met and married her first husband Arthur Bruns in 1948 and they later moved to Anacortes, WA. They had two children, Thomas and Carol. Art and Helen liked to play bridge and were members of Anacortes Folk Dancing Group and performed at the annual Folk Dancing Festival in Anacortes. They also enjoyed camping, playing cards, music and dancing. Helen also taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. Throughout Tom and Carol’s childhood, it was always important to her to have them involved in a number of fun activities including playing musical instruments and being active in Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

Helen also liked cats and dogs, and as a child loved to dress her cat up and make her ride in a baby buggy. In Anacortes she worked for KAGT RADIO and then United Good Neighbors in Burlington before accepting a position in Bellingham in 1968 as the Administrative Assistant to the President of the Psychology Dept. at WWSC. In later years after divorcing, Helen met Stanley Kincaid, who was widowed, at a senior’s social function he was hosting. They hit it off immediately and quickly discovered they had much in common and found in each other not only love but also a great sense of peace and contentment that led to their marriage in 1982, at which time Helen retired. They enjoyed a quiet day to day life together and enjoyed playing Bingo and cards, music, walking and their dogs. They loved traveling and went on several cruises that they especially enjoyed as well as many senior day-long excursions around the area.

Helen was very active in her church, First Baptist of Bellingham for many years and she and Stan developed a wonderful circle of friends as a result. Helen was a very loving mother and grandmother who took great pleasure in her own family and quickly became a much loved step-mother and grandmother to Stan’s family.

In her later years, Helen fought many health challenges with a quiet fierceness coupled with a lot of courage, strength, humility and a tremendous amount of grace. She would have been 89 July 4th. While we will grieve her absence in our lives we will still celebrate her life and the end of so much physical pain, and will be joyous that she peacefully ascended into heaven into the waiting arms of our Lord. Helen’s guidance, support, loving smile and genuine love of God will be sorely missed as will her wonderful stories of relatives and life experiences.

She was preceded in death by her parents Harry in 1943 and Ella in 1952, sister Betty in 2002, and husband Stanley in 2004. She is survived by her son Tom (Sue) Bruns of Bothell, daughter Carol (Bruce) Jahn of Ballard, and step-children Kathy (Wayne) Kincaid Middleton of Agassiz BC, Kristine Kincaid of Bellingham and Brian (Pamela) Kincaid of Lynnwood. She is survived additionally by grandchildren Derek (Dani) Bruns, of Seattle, Taylor Bruns of Seattle, Andy (Katy) Jahn of Auburn, Tim (Heather) Jahn of Kent, Leah Kincaid of Burlington, Amie (Jeff) Hickey of Lynden, Dan (Kerri) Kincaid of Kirkland, Travis (Rashelle) Kincaid Seattle, Tyler (Jill) Kincaid of Seattle, and Megan (Aaron) Kincaid Heuer of Lynnwood, plus18 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great-grandchildren and her long-time great friend and former neighbor, Margaret (Jim) Higbee.

Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church.

Visitation will be held at Westford Funeral Home from 2-4 pm on Monday, June 8th. A Memorial Service will be held at First Baptist Church at 12 Noon on Tuesday, June 9th. A reception will follow at the church.