Helen Gillis

Watertown, CT & Eastport – Helen L. (Stackhouse) Gillis, 91, died October 13, 2014 at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Watertown, CT. She was the widow of Edwin “Alan” Gillis. Helen was born January 16, 1923 in Eastport, the oldest daughter of the late Harold and Lila (Hooper) Stackhouse. She grew up and attended Eastport area schools and was a graduate of Shead Memorial High School. She spent many summers as a child along with her two sisters at her parent’s camp on Pennamaquon Lake in Charlotte. As a teen she became friends with the Barry Family who owned a camp on Morgan Point on Pennamaquon Lake and would hop into their car and ride to the lake whenever she could and this is where she learned to row a boat. Helen remained friends throughout the years with the Barry’s and would correspond with handwritten letters and telephone calls. Her granddaughter Michelle along with her husband Mark now owns the property that Helen had to cross to access the Barry camp on Morgan Point. Helen left Eastport for a short time with a bunch of girlfriends to work at Pratt & Whitney in order to help with the war effort at the beginning of World War II. She later moved back to Eastport and worked at a local area factory. She was an avid seamstress making clothes for her family and doing alterations for a men’s clothing shop in Eastport. She later became a housewife and mother to four children, Peter, Marie, Nancy and Brian. Helen continued to live in Eastport until she met the love of her life, married Alan and moved to Connecticut in 1964. Helen loved the beauty of Eastport and the coast of Maine and would spend many summers visiting her family in Maine. She lived for many years in Enfield, CT where she and Alan bought a beautiful little New England style home. She sold her home in Enfield shortly after Alan’s passing and moved into her own apartment in Watertown, CT to be closer to her youngest son Brian. Helen was known for her laughter and sense of humor. She also was an avid animal lover as she found great joy in feeding the wild birds and squirrels. Helen also loved to garden and took great pride in growing a beautiful flower bed. She was a loving, compassionate and selfless person who always put the needs of others before her own but her greatest joy was spending time with family and friends. Helen was predeceased by her parents, her husband, Alan, a sister Mary Grube, a niece, Constance Grube, two brothers-in-law, Christopher Grube and Peter Bruen and a son-in-law, John Bishop. She leaves behind four children, her youngest son, Brian and his wife Cathy of Oakville, CT, her eldest son Alan “Peter” Tinker and his wife Olive of Searsmont and two daughters, Marie Baxter and her husband Richard of Pembroke and Nancy Bishop of Zephyrhills, FL. She is also survived by a sister Frances Bruen of Wakefield, MA; eleven grandchildren, Mark Tinker and his wife Patti, Connie Tinker, Gina Tinker, Michael Tinker, Michelle Stanhope and her husband Mark, all of Maine, Kimberly Brown and Casey Kaylor of California, Jessica Gillis, Daniel Gillis, Joshua Austin and wife Jaclyn and Jesse Austin of Oakville, CT; fifteen great grandchildren; one great-great grandson, Mason Daniel Tozier and many nieces and nephews. A graveside service will be held 1:00 p.m., Saturday, October 18th at Hillside Cemetery in Eastport.