Helen Ann (nee Snitzer) Stair, 84, shed the bonds of her earthly tabernacle and was arrayed in white raiment in the early morning hours of April 30 ^th , 2023. She was then escorted by her guardian angels to Paradise to meet her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Helen was born in the highlands near the headwaters of the Schuylkill River in Ashland, Pennsylvania on July 21 ^st , 1938; the youngest of the three daughters born to Joseph and Mary (Kupcha) Snitzer. She was raised in the nearby town of Frackville. She was christened and confirmed in St. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church and was very proud of her Slavic heritage.

During her teenaged years, Helen worked at many different jobs. She sold concessions at The Garden movie theatre where her father was a projectionist, she worked as a soda jerk behind the counter of Swades Restaurant where she enjoyed making ice cream sundaes, and she and her twin sister Anne cleaned up the premises of both the movie theatre and Ursala's Beauty Salon after business hours were over.

Upon graduation from Frackville High School in 1956, Helen embarked upon a career in Medical Technology, training at The Pottsville Hospital which was a dozen miles down the mountain from Frackville which she continued to call home. She completed her training in September 1958 and worked for a cardiologist, Dr. Marshal, for ten years when an allergic reaction to working with some solutions sidelined her career.

Needing a change in her life, Helen decided to leave Frackville. So in 1968 she left her beloved highlands (which she always called God's Country) and moved 60 miles southeast to the Lehigh Valley city of Allentown. There she found employment in the receiving room at Almart Department Store. It was there in February, 1969 that she met her future husband, John Stair, who worked there for six months while he was trying to earn enough money to go back to college for his junior year. Though they were not romantically involved at that time, they became good friends.

In the spring of 1971, John returned to the Lehigh Valley to work construction for the summer. He had thought a lot about Helen during his hiatus and decided to call Helen and ask her for a date. The date went off so well that they spent part of each day for the rest of that summer together and they grew closer and closer and fell in love.

Rod Stewart had a hit record in 1971 called Maggie May and it exemplified the dilemma Helen and John were in as summer was coming to a close. John needed to go back to school and didn't want to leave and Helen didn't want him to leave without her. So in her own words, Helen paraphrased the plea of the biblical heroine Ruth, who said in the book of Ruth 1:16-17

"Entreat me not to leave thee, or to turn back from following after thee. For

whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people

will be my people and thy God, my God. Where thou diest, I will die and there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts thee and me."

On September 22 ^nd , 1971, Helen and John were married at Our Lady Help of Christians Roman Catholic Church in Allentown. Their wedding reception was held at the home of her best friend and Matron of Honor, Lois Fritz. So the newlyweds left their native state of Pennsylvania and made their home for the next 51 years, 7 months and 8 days in their adopted state of Colorado.

Their first home together was Greeley, Colorado where John was attending UNC. While there, Helen conceived and gave birth to her first-born son, Christian Alexander, on October 8 ^th , 1972. In 1974, the family moved to Leadville, CO for one year where Helen conceived again and gave birth to her second born son, Ckyle Andrew, on September 30 ^th , 1975. By now the family had moved to Springfield, CO until 1977. There the family forged two life-long friendships with the Ellis and Herberholtz families.

In the summer of 1977, Helen and John moved one final time to Akron, CO where they resided for the remainder their lives together. Coming to Akron was the best thing that ever happened to the family. Here they were not only accepted, but also embraced and loved by this wonderful community. This was never more evident than on the occasion of the tragic accident that took the life of their son Ckyle on August 31 ^st , 1985.

Though Helen was always a good Christian, her faith blossomed in Akron. She was a devoted member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Here she helped serve many dinners for many church functions. She also enjoyed preparing meals at home for those who were ill or needy. Helen loved to bake cakes and cookies and her chocolate chocolate-chip bundt cakes and nut-tossie cookies were fan favorites. She also enjoyed sending greeting cards of all kinds to people who needed a kind word or a hand up. She made friends easily and formed many lifelong relationships because she loved people.

In 1998, a young couple moved to town and needed childcare for their infant son. The mother had heard that Helen did a lot of babysitting and she not only asked Helen if she would consider watching her infant during the day, but that she didn't know anybody in town yet and would Helen be her friend. Helen told her no, but instead said, that she and John would be her family. That woman was Michelle Dracon and her son Mario. Since then, the Dracons have become spiritual children and grandchildren of Helen and John.

About the same time, Helen became an integral part of a Ladies Bible-study group for about 20 years. The group leader was Cheryl Miller and the group was sometimes known as "God's Girls" because they sometimes wore jerseys that proclaimed it was so. Helen grew tremendously during this time and became a prolific reader and studier of the Bible. She worked diligently to employ the teachings of Jesus Christ in her life.

In early February, 2021, Helen caught Covid and her physical life took a downward turn. Though she was unable to continue her participation at church and Bible study as brain fog and her ability to walk hindered her participation, she still prayed to the Lord and John had to read her daily devotions to her. Though she got discouraged, she wrote herself a note that said, "My trust is in Jesus!" In her final weeks, John repeated that mantra to her every night as well as pronounce the Abrahamic blessing over her. Her transition into eternity was a peaceful one, and she rests in the arms of Jesus!

Helen was preceded in death by her son Ckyle Andrew Stair, her parents Joseph and Mary Snitzer, her brothers-in-law Gordon Gradwell and Albert Zack, and her nephew Keith Gradwell.

She is survived by her husband John, her son Christian Stair and his wife Sandra, and her spiritual children Joel and Michelle Dracon; her grandchildren Mario Dracon and wife Riley, Lucas Stair, Keylan Dracon, Colby Dracon, Julianna Stair, Mary Dracon and Malia Dracon. She is also survived by her sister Marie Gradwell, twin sister Anne Zack and brother Joseph Snitzer, sister-in-law Dawn Schaffer and husband Johnnie, and brother-in-law Eric Stair and wife Renee and as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, sisters and brothers in Christ and a host of friends.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at St. Joseph Catholic Church at 11:00 a.m.  Interment will follow at the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery.  Memorial donations may be made to Catholic or Foursquare Youth Programs, Akron Senior Meals, Meet & Eat, or to the charity of your choice.