Obituary of Helen Gentry

Our beloved mother and grandmother, Helen E. Gentry, age 96, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 29, 2020 in Vancouver, WA. She was a loving and beautiful soul with a kind heart and a winning smile. She was born in Portland, OR on July 19, 1924 and grew up in Camas, WA. She graduated from Camas High School in 1943, and in September of that same year, she married her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, C.E. “Bill” Gentry. During WWII, while Bill was serving in the US Coast Guard, Helen worked in the Vancouver Shipyards as an electrician. After the war ended, she devoted her life to the caring of her husband, their 2 sons, and their home. She was the ultimate homemaker. Bill and Helen moved to several cities when Bill was transferred for his job with Crown Zellerbach. After he took early retirement, they "travel-trailered” to various destinations in the Western US. They spent several winters in Yuma, AZ and Southern CA. Helen enjoyed cooking, attending church, dancing, boating, and traveling with Bill. She had a strong faith in God and was a member of Zion Lutheran Church. After Bill passed away, she lived the rest of her life at Touchmark Senior Living Complex in Vancouver, WA. She was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Bill Gentry and her younger son, Dennis Gentry. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Norene Gentry of Washougal, WA, and her grandsons, Troy and Chad Gentry, both of Washougal, WA. There will be no memorial service due to Covid-19.