Donna Marie (Plaster) Helgath, our Special Silver Lady, age 81, of Ferndale, passed away on Monday, May 21, 2018 at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. She lived her life to the fullest to the very end and when God called her home, she went peacefully surrounded by her family.
She was born in Bellingham to Jack and Mary (McCabe) Plaster and grew up in Ferndale where she graduated from Ferndale High School. Throughout the years, Donna worked various jobs in the medical profession and ended her career as a paraeducator for the Ferndale School District. She thoroughly enjoyed serving people.
She married the love of her life, Jim Helgath, in 1980. Together they enjoyed a very active social life. They were members of the Bellingham Yacht Club, Bellingham Golf & Country Club and Sandy Point Golf & Country Club, and they attended the United Church of Ferndale. They loved boating, crabbing and golfing together and were longtime Husky football season ticket holders. They enjoyed their life and friendships living out at Sandy Point.
Donna embraced life every day! She fiercely loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, rarely missing any of their sporting events or activities. Growing up, she was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. She was a proud member of the Lummi Nation and was an elder of the tribe in the final years of her life. Donna still met regularly with her Ferndale classmates and was part of many card-playing groups. She remained a social member of the Bellingham Golf & Country Club and maintained several friendships there. Her grandchildren gave her the loving nickname “Silver” on a family trip to Disneyland, and her great-grandchildren only know her as “Grandma Silver.” She loved spending time with all the little great-grands and passed on to them her love of living by the beach. She taught them to fish and crab, and loved walking the beach to collect seashells with them.
Donna is survived by her two children, son Rich and Tami Waldemar of Lynden, and daughter Cindy and Jeff Huleatt of Arlington. Rich’s family includes: Mindi (Chris) Work; Ethan, Ali, Elliott, Kassi Simonsen; Taylor and Lane, Shane (Abi) Waldemar; Axton, Huxly and Loxly, Becki (Matt) Berendsen; Brielle, Brinley and Bayla. Cindy’s family includes: Eric (Megan) Huleatt, Chelsea (Stewart) Davis, Daniel (Whitney) Huleatt; Rhett. Donna is also survived by her brother Mickey Plaster of Texas and Jim’s children, Greg and Irene Helgath, Doug Helgath and Myla Musselwhite, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Jim, and siblings Stanley, Vincent, Rachel, Lyla, Jerry, Chuck and Jigger.
A memorial service was held at 1 p.m. Monday, May 28, at the Bellingham Golf & Country Club, 3729 Meridian St., Bellingham. Memorials can be made to the Lhag’temish Foundation, 2665 Kwina Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226, attn: Josh Phair (Lummi Blackhawks Athletic Department).
