Helen Eileen Roach of Willows died in Chico on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, in Enloe Medical Center’s Cardiac Care Unit. The youngest of three children, she was born in San Francisco to Edward and Eileen Johnston on Jan. 31, 1945.
She grew up in San Francisco in the Diamond Heights area. She graduated from Mission High School and attended San Francisco State for three years, working toward a teaching credential in special education.
She enjoyed summer vacations with her family, camping at Pinecrest Lake in the Stanislaus National Forest.
A gifted writer, in 1968, through a local radio station, she sent numerous “Christmas Greetings” to soldiers from the San Francisco area who were serving in the Vietnam War. To her surprise, she met 1st Lt. Dan Roach, a fellow San Francisco native and combat platoon leader serving with the 101st Airborne Division.
They married in October of 1969 in San Francisco.
Their new life together started on the Tahoe National Forest, since her husband was a graduate forester with the U.S. Forest Service. They then moved to the Summit District on the Stanislaus National Forest, the same place she enjoyed spending her summers camping while growing up.
While living there, she also enjoyed winters, learning the art of skiing at Dodge Ridge.
In Sonora, she gave birth to Jesse and Shane, her first two sons. In the late 1970s, the Roaches moved to Willows, where the Mendocino National Forest Supervisors Office was located.
Helen Roach was involved in the local Scouting program, first as a den leader, then as assistant pack leader. Finally, as a parent supporter in Troop 57 with the boys, they made Eagle Scout.
Little did she know that she would enjoy the opportunity to repeat her Scouting support with Seth, her third-born 14 years after the birth of Shane.
She is remembered for her gentle, kind spirit, generosity, devotion to a family raising three sons, and for being a pet lover. She loved volunteering for school programs and the local swim team, and supporting community fundraisers and her local public television and radio stations.
She is survived by her loving husband of 52 years, Dan; sons Jesse (and his wife, Cynthia) of Willows, Shane of Boise, and Seth, who is serving in the U.S. Army; grandchildren Dakota and Dawson of Willows and Olivia of Nampa, Idaho; sister Beverly Langley (and her husband, Harvey Langley) of Kuna, Idaho; and beloved nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her father, Edward Russell Johnston, mother Eileen Dora Johnston, and brother Eddie Johnston.
A Celebration of Life and reception are scheduled at the Willows Veterans Memorial Hall, 525 West Sycamore Street, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22. Donations in Helen Roach’s memory can be made to a favorite charity, public television, or public radio station.
The Glenn County Observer 