Helga Gale (2 May 1936 - 8 Dec 2020)

In loving memory of Helga Gale who passed away peacefully on 8th December 2020 aged 84
Donations in her memory for the Stroke Association, enquiries c/o Braddicks and Sherborne, 1 Abbotsham Road, Bideford, EX39 3AF (01237 477222)
Mum was born in Bielefeld Germany in 1936, she had one younger brother Dieter.
Helga left Germany as a young teenager as village life was not for her, moving to Switzerland where she found work and made friends.
Helga loved to travel and had the pleasure of visiting places such as Egypt, Australia, Italy, Canada, America, Turkey Spain and more making friends and many are still friends today.
Helga finally settled in central London as she loved the mix of different people and felt she fitted in, here she worked in the posh hotels.
Helga then met Bert in the Greenman pub in Kingsbury where she was working as a barmaid, when they were first together, they shared a single bed in Aunty Marys (Marion) house as Bert work nights and she worked days, the Gale family gave Helga the name Margaret as Helga was too hard to say being foreign an all, and the name Margaret lasted many years. they married in 1969 and Nicole was born the following year shortly followed 18 months later with Jason.
Helga was a wonderful mother and grandma always wanting to take us all away on holidays to see new places and experience new things, she loved to visit Germany each year to catch up with old friends and see family and the ferry journey over was just as exciting as the trip itself.
Helga was a doting Grandma to Kelly, Gemma, Ollie and Ben, and Great Grandma to Charlie, Chloe, Jamie, Sophie, Oscar & Ronnie. Helga loved to do the school run and meet up with the young mums who all loved her.
Helga made many friends wherever she went she had a knack of befriending all age groups and never had any prejudice of any age colour or religion she simply loved everyone and everyone loved her.
Helga had a good sense of humour but also a sharp tongue and never held back to tell you that you were fat or that your appearance wasn’t to her liking.
If you visited Helga, she was always keen to fuss round you making cups of tea and feeding you biscuits, and if you were to stay for dinner she would offer “You want some SHIPS” (said like this).
Helga, Margaret, Mrs G..also had names for others too such as madame butterfly, Sprog and Glamour puss, and said things like ohh they look a little weary.
Helga was independent till the end and loved being able to drive her little car gave which gave her a lot of joy also fetching and carrying Ollie she loved that she was still needed. She never wanted to walk with a stick people might think she was old being 84 was just a number and Helga proved that she was still young at heart.
All of us that knew Helga would agree that she was very special and we could not help but love her, she touched many hearts and will leave a huge hole in all our lives, but will be in our hearts forever.
Helga was always a free sprit and now reunited with past friends and family.