Tribute Wall
Monday
9
May
Funeral Service
11:00 am
Monday, May 9, 2022
Brenan's Funeral Home Chapel
111 Paradise Row
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Interment
Ocean View Memorial Gardens
715 Latimore Lake Road
Saint John , New Brunswick, Canada
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Colleen Woodside posted a condolence
Thursday, June 9, 2022
Colleen Woodside (previously Labchuk)
I am life-long friends with Andrea, Mrs. Comfort's youngest daughter. We reconnected years ago after a long time of having lost touch with each other.
Andrea and I were classmates in France in 1966 when we were 10 yrs old in Grade 6. Our families knew each other as we were all posted to France and then Holland, a small bunch of us Canadian military spread out in the Dutch community.
I will never forget the beautiful fairytale-like house where the Comfort family lived in Maastricht, complete with crystal chandeliers, 4 stories of long wooden bannisters, very high ceilings and Persian carpets everywhere. Most of all, I will never forget the sleep-overs with Andrea and the 7-up ice cream floats that Mrs. Comfort treated Andrea and I to, especially at Christmas. She was kind, warm and welcoming to me and really fostered a friendship between Andrea and I.
As well, Mrs.Comfort became friends with my mother as Air Force families do, so far away from extended family and friends back in Canada. She was a blessing to my mother who at 35, was devastated by the loss of her own mother back in Canada and unable to return to Canada for the funeral and to be with her extended family.
Mrs.Comfort continued to faithfully write to my mother in Holland after the Comfort family returned to Canada, my own devastation at 13 on losing my only friend Andrea, when they left.
I knew that my mother connected with Mrs.Comfort by their common faith in God when she could not find it in others. I wrote to Mrs.C (she liked me to call her, like Mrs. Cunningham of "Happy Days"...who was a mother to everyone) to tell her of my mother's passing in '89 and she began to send me Christmas cards with family news every year.
It's like she knew how to fill in the gaps of the losses others experienced. She had a gift that way. I think she would say she was gifted by God and I believe that to be true, as she continued then to write to my father and they wrote faithfully to each other over the years.
I am forever grateful how Mrs.C was there for both my mother and my father in their time of loss and grief.
I have not met anyone who has matched Mrs.C's grace, wisdom and compassion. In a world now without my mother, she became a mother to me in many ways, perhaps as she knew me in my childhood and into my adult life and then reconnecting with Andrea. She was so pleased that we did, as we are too! Andrea and I are more than friends, we are family.
I live in Victoria now and Andrea sent me old photos from 1944 of her mom here at the Empress Hotel where she met her husband-to-be, Al Comfort. The many unnecessary (but necessary!) rides on the elevator when it was Helen's job to operate it. When I think of the British royalty that visited and how that must have been so exciting for Helen, perhaps being in the elevator with some of them!
It appears however, that she only wanted to be in the elevator with a certain member of the Canadian Air Force!
To me, their story is like a romantic historical novel, set in the last days of WWII when the threat of Japan attacking the west coast of Canada after Pearl Harbour becomes very real when looking at the historical photos in the Empress Hotel, the encased sign for viewing that says, " Blinds MUST be drawn every sundown...by order of..." So to go dark and not show city lights visible to the Japanese Air Force.
Helen lived the life she wanted, a life of travel and people, family and faith, connecting wherever she went.
Reading the stories here and knowing how many people she affected that I know of, it is plain to see she touched and changed lives wherever she went and with whomever she met.
To me, Helen Comfort was an Earth Angel and has earned her wings.
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AD posted a condolence
Monday, May 16, 2022
Living so far away from the people I love makes me gravitate toward symbols that remind me of them. I have them all over my house. One symbol that sits in my living room is Auntie Leta's sewing machine. Helen gave it to me when her aunt passed and Bruce refinished it for me.
There are so many things that remind me of her and make me smile...a cup of luke warm tea, wrapping broccoli in wax paper, chicken and rice soup, note paper, tulips and windmills all remind me of Helen. She always had a luke warm cup of tea on her table or counter. When it got cold, she wouldn't throw it away, but trot to the microwave to heat it up for the umpteenth time. I remember Helen in her hot pink jumpsuit, always looking so classy and elegant at the same time and never missing a hair appointment with Stanley. She made the best chicken and rice soup. I still don't know what she did to that broth that made it so good. Often, she and Al would drop by with a bag of broccoli or banana bread or cookies that she baked. She would tell me that they were on sale, so she bought two. Whenever, you shared a need, she would stop you mid sentence to write it down on the corner of a folded piece of note paper, so she wouldn't forget and you knew she would pray.
I will never forget the call I got when she was laughing so hard that she could hardly talk. Helen got the idea that she needed to knock of the big icicles hanging in the front of her house. With big snow drifts on either side of the walkway, she took a swing with her broom handle, lost her balance and went knee deep into the snow bank. The only problem was that she couldn't get up and she had to get up before Al found her, so she decided to roll and rolled herself right out of the snow and was able to get on her feet without being caught. We laughed so hard, we cried.
During our last visit to New Brunswick, I needed to have time with Helen, just the two of us. I made a promise to her that we would make her and Al proud. I asked her to pray for me so we held hands and she prayed and blessed me. I promised that we would be a Grandma Helen and Grandpa Al to grandchildren that are not our own and be supportive and strong for the upcoming generation. We've exceeded the age they were when we met them 46 years ago, but we can carry on by following their example.
Many think Helen as a prayer warrior, but I think of her as a listener, an advice giver, a problem solver and a mother and a best friend. She took my secrets to Heaven with her. I can't thank Donna and Sandi enough for the gift of being able to Facetime with Helen last Monday. I've been pondering and treasuring the moment ever since. It is a gift from Heaven. I told her I was praying for her, and she said in her emphatic "Helen" way. GOOD! She waved at me, told me she loved me, and turned to Donna and said "I'm like a mother to her". I will be forever grateful and cherish those moments. Thank you Donna and Sandi!
Debbie Lindsay
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AD posted a condolence
Monday, May 16, 2022
Grandma Comfort,
Wisdom, faithfulness, conviction, commitment and steadfastness.
Sometimes the mightiest and fiercest elements come in the smallest and meekest forms. This is how we experienced, knew and now remember Grandma Comfort.
It's funny to think of a world pre-social media, pre-video call, pre-text message; a world where the landline and the letter reigned and where connection was tethered to a corded handset or a stamp and envelope, yet Grandma Comfort traversed the atlantic with her words, letters, prayers and, well, memorable Christmas gifts...
Grandma Comfort's letters were often timely and well received reminders of the power, presence and encouragement of God. To receive a letter is to receive more than a series of words arranged upon a page. To receive a letter is to receive the thoughts, intentions and actions of someone who is calling their present into your future. Words contained within a heartfelt, loving and sincere letter find their mark in the timeliest of ways, like an arrow loosed at a target.
We believe the same thing happens with the Lord.
The time and distance between when we are called and when we land in him may feel like a lifetime (because it is) but our destination, in Him, is assured.
Grandma Helen's life is a reflection of one who knew the voice of Jesus, and who now, by the grace of God, has hit the mark.
Anna and I will remember the stories about her Kingdom exploits. Thanks to Grandma Comfort we also choose to live by the "wisdom of the ages passed down" which exclaims, a full chest freezer is a happy chest freezer. You never know when you'll need 40 loaves of bread. In fact, why cook for two when you can cook for twenty two, just take your recipe and double it, double it again, triple that, add seven and then, you guessed it, double it again! Oh my land!
Grandma please forgive me (Matt) for calling you a "Nosey Ol' Parker". I was only five and I was just trying the phrase on for size; it turns out it didn't fit. Thank you for introducing us to Honey O's breakfast cereal and peanut butter cookies.
Most of all, thank you for your graciousness, sacrifice and kindness. We look forward to sitting at His table with you and Grandpa, sharing a meal and recounting stories of the Lord's grace together (amidst an abundance of food). You used to say, "all that glitters isn't gold". You were right, but now anymore. Now, the very streets you walk on are crested with it.
Until our arrows, by the goodness and power of God alone, hit their mark and we see you again. we love you.
Matt and Anna
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barbara mccluskey posted a condolence
Monday, May 9, 2022
My dear friend…what wonderful chats we had over many years….how she loved her family. My condolences to the entire family . Barbara Searle McCluskey
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Madeleine & Murray posted a condolence
Monday, May 9, 2022
Our sincères condoléances. We love Helen. She was a very strong woman. Always ready to pray to the Lord on our behalf. She encouraged us so much in mission work. A real example in being a Lord’s servant. She is now in His presence enjoying the reunion with Al and all the people who preceded her. We will miss Helen and we are looking forward to day when we will see a beautiful smile again.
May God console you all!
Madeleine and Murray
Medical Mission International
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Leah Leal posted a condolence
Monday, May 9, 2022
What an amazing legacy we have in Grandma Comfort. She was such an incredible woman of faith and strength in the Lord. Today I read a poem of encouragement she had written in 2001 to my oldest son and his wife, giving them another glimpse into her awesomeness. Her letters were filled with the word of God and straight truth and faith, and the tiniest, loveliest handwriting I've ever seen. What a gift to share with my children their beautiful heritage. She set a high example of servanthood and mothering, of radical devotion, discipline and love. We are so thankful for the times she spent here, visiting. I'll never forget how she rearranged my freezer and wrote a list of its contents for me. She was one of a kind, so funny, and full of life. She lived an amazing life and shared so many stories with us. She always prayed for each of us every day. I'm counting on those prayers being poured out on my children's children. Our hearts are full of thankfulness for her beautiful life, and we look forward to being with her in Glory one day.
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Ryan Leal uploaded photo(s)
Monday, May 9, 2022
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It’s sad to see grandma go, and I’m praying for all our family during this time of grief. Grandma Comfort always had wonderful stories and was a strong woman of God that was always willing to encourage others. I have so many memories as a kid when I would get to see grandma. She would bring us our favorite candy from Canada and make her famous banana bread. Although this is a sad day, we also know she is with Jesus. -Ryan Leal
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Barb posted a condolence
Sunday, May 8, 2022
Lynda
Thinking of you this “Mother’s Day”
My condolences to you and your family. I’ve always love hearing the stories of your mother and of all the places you visited or lived. I also have enjoyed meeting and getting to know your sisters.
Your mother is now at rest with you dad.
God Bless
Barb
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Ken Davis posted a condolence
Sunday, May 8, 2022
Dear Donna, Lynda, Sandra and Andrea. My heart is full of Love and sympathy for each of you and your families along with Sheila's Husband, Michel and family. Mom Comfort was a special lady who loved God, family and friends (people). She enjoyed many things and one was reading books, especially the Bible and making notes. Mom (Helen) is now enjoying being with Dad (Al), Sheila (Daughter) and the Saviour in Heaven . Enjoy the memories of Mom and the family times together. God Bless You with His Love and Comfort. Keeping you and your families in my thoughts and prayers. Love, Ken (Donna's husband)
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Charlene McDonough Dr posted a condolence
Saturday, May 7, 2022
In deepest sympathy to the Comfort family ,
I have been Helen’s dentist for over thirty years
Every time I saw her name on the appointment sheet I would smile .Helen was always smiling ,and she had many stories every time she came to the office . She was a lady and she will be missed . I will my remember my visits with Helen with fondness. I know she is in Heaven as she was a good Christian .
You are in my thoughts and prayers at this sad time
Dr Charlene McDonough
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Don Timmerman posted a condolence
Saturday, May 7, 2022
Hi Donna
Thinking of you at at this time.
I am so glad you and the family were with your Mother before and during her passing.
Prayers.
Don Timmerman
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Gail Leavitt posted a condolence
Saturday, May 7, 2022
Hi. I’m a good friend of Donna’s and enjoyed meeting your mother on different occasions when she visited Donna in Winnipeg. We send our sincere condolences to each one of you and the whole family will be in our prayers. May you find great comfort in knowing that your mother is now in Heaven with the Saviour she loved so much. Love, Gail and Randy Leavitt
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Karen posted a condolence
Saturday, May 7, 2022
Hi,
My name is Karen. I knew Helen when she and Al went to the Vineyard and Abundant Life Church. She and I had many delightful conversations. I'm sorry for your loss and pray your memories, with the grace of JESUS will sustain you.
JESUS & I love you
Karen
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Beryl Jean Williams posted a condolence
Saturday, May 7, 2022
It was a privilege to meet her in Siôn and Anna’s Wedding.
We send our sincere condolences to all her family.
Beryl & Selwyn Williams. Cardiff. Wales
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Donna McLean posted a condolence
Friday, May 6, 2022
Lynda, I am so sorry for your loss. She was certainly blessed with a long life and I'm sure full of good times. Donna McLean
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Irene Ward posted a condolence
Friday, May 6, 2022
Dear Donna, Lynda, Sandra & Andrea,
Please accept my most sincere sympathy in the passing of your Mother. She has been reunited with your Dad and Sheila but most of all is in heaven with Jesus. You are in my thoughts and prayers as you share memories together during these days. May God bless you with His comfort and His peace.
Irene Ward (sister-in-law to Donna)
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The family of Helen Louise Comfort uploaded a photo
Thursday, May 5, 2022
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