Woodstock, Vermont

Helen Gardephe Leonard passed away on May 23, 2023, at Genesis in Lebanon, NH, after a brief hospitalization at Dartmouth Medical Center. She was born on January 17, 1924, in Worcester, MA, and spent her formative years in Leicester, a small town outside Worcester. She was the daughter of Fanny (Jokinen) Makitalo and George Makitalo, both of whom had emigrated from Finland. She was pre-deceased by her parents; her sisters Ann Kusisto, Alice Salmonson, and Eva Duane, and her brother Olavi Makitalo; her first husband Melvin E. Gardephe; and her second husband Gordon Leonard of North Pomfret, VT. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Paul and Colleen Gardephe of New Rochelle, NY, her grandchildren – Tess, Emma, Paul W. and Sophie, and two nephews: Richard Salmonson of Newbury Port, MA and Robert Salmonson of Auburn, MA.

After graduating from Leicester High School, Helen worked at Norton Company in Worcester for 11 years. She married Melvin E. Gardephe in 1947. They were married for 33 years until his death in 1980. Helen survived the 1953 tornado that destroyed parts of Holden, MA. The couple's home was destroyed in the tornado, and Helen was found under a refrigerator, with broken ribs, a collapsed lung and other injuries. The family then lived in Leominster, MA for many years, until moving to Quechee, VT in 1978. After Melvin's death, Helen worked as a sales clerk at the Quechee Gorge gift shop, and then for 13 years at Scotland by the Yard, a Scottish clothing gift store on Route 4 in Woodstock. She met Gordon Leonard of North Pomfret at the Bugbee Senior Citizen Center in White River Junction. They married and were together for 16 years, living in North Pomfret until Gordon's death in 2003. The couple wintered in Lake Hamilton, FL, a small town south of Orlando, in central Florida. After Gordon's death, Helen moved to the Heritage condos in Woodstock, where she lived for many years, until moving to The Homestead in Woodstock in October 2021.

Helen was a loyal member of the United Methodist Church her entire adult life, and was a member at the Leominster (MA) United Methodist Church and the White River United Methodist Church for many years. She was an active member of the Thompson Senior Citizen Center for many years. She was an excellent cook, and was known for her Finnish coffee bread, which she kneaded by hand. She enjoyed ballroom dancing. She was a great cribbage player and surprised many unsuspecting men with her skill at pool. Helen was an independent woman who traveled to Florida on her own for many years, frequently drove long distances by herself well into her 80's, and continued to drive until age 96. She embodied the Finnish term "sisu," which means resilience, grit, determination, and courage. She had many friends, and was much loved by her son and his family.

There will be a graveside ceremony on Saturday May 27th at 11:00am at All Faiths Cemetery in Worcester, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Helen's name to the Thompson Center in Woodstock, VT or the White River (VT) United Methodist Church.