Sister Helen (Mary David) Langkam

Obituary Sister Helen (Mary David) Langkam, OP Born December 26, 1926; died peacefully at St. Joseph Residence, Seattle on February 6, 2009. She was born in Aberdeen, Washington and moved to Seattle as a child. Her parents Lena Fisher Langkam and S.L. Langkam predeceased her. She graduated from Aquinas Academy, Tacoma in 1945. Following graduation she entered the Marymount novitiate in 1945 and made first profession in 1947. Following profession she began many years of teaching in Seattle Archdiocesan schools including assignments at all the Congregation's schools in Seattle as well as those in Tacoma, Yakima, Centralia, and in San Diego and Bakersfield, CA. Sr. Helen's longest tenures were at St. Patrick, Tacoma and St. George, Seattle. She studied at CWSC, Seattle University, and received her degree from Holy Names College, Spokane. She did further study at Dominican College, San Rafael, CA. Teaching was her first love which included instilling in her students a sense of service. She planned field trips, overnighters at Gig Harbor, organized candy sales and jog-a-thons, supervised safety patrol ?" her St. George patrols received perfect scores each year accompanied by awards. Under her guidance the St. George fifth graders bagged beans and rice for Georgetown Service Center twice a month. Sister Helen was a great fundraiser. In the 1960's she was sent to California to raise money for the Sister Formation program. In the seventies and eighties, she obtained donations for the community's Centennial celebration, bazaars, dinners and raffles. She organized volunteer work crews from students' dads to improve St. Joseph Villa ?" a place for the sisters to vacation. Asking for the Community was never difficult for her. Following years of teaching, she was asked to be Plant Manager at Marymount, Tacoma, a position she held until its sale was completed. In 1992 she began volunteering at the Seattle Police Department's Victim Assistance Unit. In recent years, poor health limited her physical activity. She moved to St. Joseph Residence in 2007 following the first of several strokes. She is survived by a cousin, Carol Van Carler, of Mapleton, Oregon. Services for Sister Helen will be at St. Joseph Residence 4800 37th Ave. SW, Seattle 98126. Sunday, February 15, there will be a reception from 2:15 ?" 3:15 PM in the dining room before the Vigil Service at 3:30 PM in the Chapel. The Mass of Resurrection will be celebrated Monday, February 16 at 11:00 AM in the St. Joseph Residence Chapel. Inurnment will be Tuesday, February 17 at 11:00 AM at Calvary Cemetery in Tacoma. Memorial donations may be made to the Dominican Sisters Retirement Fund, 935 Fawcett Ave, South Tacoma, WA 98402.