Helen 'Poogie' Loretta (Kirkpatrick) Larrivee, 82
Helen "Poogie" Loretta (Kirkpatrick) Larrivee, 82, "slipped away from the hands of her devoted friends and family" on Oct. 18, 2007.
"We have no doubt that she was welcomed with outstretched arms by the Lord and by her family who have gone before."
Poogie's family was the centerpiece of her life. She had five children, 14 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. There was never a doubt in our minds that we were always loved and welcomed into her life and home. Upon entering her house, we would bend down to give her a hug and a kiss and then make straight for the candy dish.
She would then bustle around the house as she described her latest home decorating projects, showing off an array of matching curtains, bedspreads and pillows. Her skills with a glue gun were endless as she transformed thrift shop or garage sale finds into one-of-a-kind works of art. Her latest project was a collage of pictures of her beloved great-grandchildren. She never stopped learning and even tackled e-mailing and shopping online. Some of her favorite pastimes were shopping, playing cards, bingo, putting puzzles together, and did we mention shopping? All of her life she was a very hard worker with a job resume too long to allow printing in this obituary.
Helen leaves her sons, Larry Larrivee and Anne Berry, Noel and Shelley, and Mike and Diane Larrivee; daughters, Leslee "Joey" and Bruce Meyer, and Barbara "Bobbi" and Dale Larrivee-Bothell. She also leaves her sisters, Shy McClarty, Kyrol Jystad of Kalispell, and Barbara Roche of Minnesota; and half brother, Marshall Murray, of Kalispell; half sisters, Mary Lou Puckett of Idaho and Carol Jean Dull of California. In addition, she leaves many grandchildren, Jonathan and Jill, Jackson, Patrick, Thomas Larrivee, Emily, Elliott Larrivee, Karla Berry of New Zealand, Lisa Larrivee, Lindsey and Jason, Jacob, Simone Williams, Erin Kollofski, Joe and Katie Taylor, Aubrey and Brad, Jacob, Christian Hutchison, Casey and Kylene Taylor, Sherri and Scott Darlow, Amy and DJ, Kaylee, Allie, Gracie Hickman, Alisha and Craig, Emma, Ethan Wickham, Brian Meyer, Rosie DiPietro and Oceananna Rice; plus many nieces, nephews, extended family and many, many friends. She also leaves behind her best friend Tommy (her cat).
She was preceded in death by her husband, Lester, in 2000; her brothers, Ted and Mick Kirkpatrick; and sister, Lois Byers.
Poogie died unexpectedly in Whitefish from complications of a stroke. She will be missed by all whose lives she touched.
There will be a celebration of her life for all friends and family at 11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 20, at the cabin on Bitterroot Lake, which was a very special place to her with many warm memories. From the turn-off at the Hilltop, just follow the red balloons to 1078 Kelsey Road. There will be also be a Mass in her honor at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at St. Mathew's in Kalispell.
The Helen Larrivee family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to the doctors, nurses, assistants and staff of North Valley Hospital in Whitefish, who showed her loving kindness during the last few days of this experience we call life.