It is with great sadness that the family of Helen-Mary Coates (née Brosseau) announce her passing on Friday, May 10, 2019 at the age of 62 years. In her final moments on this earth she was surrounded by loved ones and passed away peacefully without any pain.

Helen-Mary will be forever remembered by her her three sons, Patrick, Denis, and James Coates, eldest brother Michael Brosseau, and sister-in-law Kathy Hutton. Helen-Mary was predeceased by her older brother, Dr. James Brosseau and also survived by the father of her children, William Andrew Coates. She will be fondly remembered by her nephews, Dwane (Angela), John (Natasha), Mark (Tony), Micheal (Kimberly) and her eight great nieces and nephews, Tessa, Cole, Jimmy, Hudson, Callum, Alexina, Chloe, and Elle.

Born and raised in Montreal, Helen-Mary studied at the Sacred Heart School of Montreal before completing a Bachelor of Arts at Concordia University, leading her to pursue a career in education. She completed a Bachelor of Education at the University of Alberta and a Master of Education at the University of British Columbia before committing her teaching practice towards both the French Immersion and French as a Second Language programs of British Columbia. Helen-Mary taught with both the Vancouver School Board and Richmond School District for over thirty years and will be remembered by her students as a lively teacher with a caring, patient disposition.

Helen-Mary dedicated her life to teaching, and to the raising of her three sons. Patrick, Denis, and James will remember their mother’s sense of humour, radiant smile, and unrivalled positivity. For her entire life she was an avid swimmer, and spent as much time as she could in the water, either at Kitsilano Pool in Vancouver or off the coast of Mexico with her boys.

A Memorial mass will be celebrated in memory of Helen-Mary at St. Joseph’s the Worker Catholic Parish, 4451 Williams Road in Richmond BC, on Friday, June 14, 2019 at 11:00 AM. A celebration of her life will follow, please contact the family for more details.

For memorial donations, please connect with directly with family, or visit https://rememberinghelenmary.ca/ for additional details.