MCCABE, Helen Margaret

On May 6th, 2021 at the Mount Continuing Care Home in Charlottetown surrounded by family and escorted to the Pearly Gates by the prayers of the Sisters of St. Martha, Helen Margaret McCabe, of Charlottetown, formerly of Cornwall and Newton, peacefully made a graceful departure from this world. Helen was the daughter of the late Michael (Mick) and Laura (Carr) Murphy of Millvale. At age 16 she entered normal school in Charlottetown and completed her Grade 12 at Prince of Wales College and started teaching in Newton in 1946. Her early teaching career was rudely interrupted by the births of her five children however it recommenced in 1962. She taught in Newton, Emerald and Kinkora until her retirement in 1985. An early stumbling block in 1962 was having to re-establish her Grade 12 education however that did not slow her down for long as she continued her education to obtain a Bachelor of Arts from U.P.E.I. in 1974 and later a Bachelor of Education and in 1978 received a Masters of Education from St. Francis Xavier University. Throughout her career Helen never taught classes or subjects she always taught her students. Even in the last years of her life when short term memory was failing her, one of her greatest joys was recalling the many students she had taught decades earlier and could recall in detail how some succeeded with ease and others had to work considerably harder. She was proud of them all. Throughout her teaching career and while completing her advanced education, she was always active in the Kinkora Parish Counsel and CWL as well as the PEI Teachers Federation and of course put in many long days on the farm in Newton. She is survived by her sister, Mary McCarvill of Toronto, and her daughter, Teresa McCabe of Charlottetown, as well as sons James of Summerside, Clifford (Linda Furjan) and Clair (Lynda) of Canoe Cove, and Michael of Camrose, Alberta. Also survived by her grandchildren Rob McCabe, Kevin Younker, Gloria, Carolyn and Keegan McCabe, Jackie, Adam and Melissa McCabe, Tracy MaloneEvans and Craig Malone as well as 10 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Lawless Funeral Home of Kinkora and due to COVID19 service is by invitation only. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Auxiliary Fund would be greatly appreciated.