Helen Soares

Helen Irene Grundberg Soares, 72, died Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2009, at Alaska Regional Hospital after a 15-year battle with breast cancer. She was surrounded by her husband, daughter and son-in-law.

A visitation will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, with a funeral afterward, at Evergreen Memorial Chapel, 737 E St. Relatives and friends are welcome at 7000 Sherwood Ave. after the service. The family will have a private burial ceremony in California at a later date.

Helen was born the last of five children on Oct. 2, 1937, in Kanabec County, Minn., to Carl Edwin Grundberg and Ruth Esther Lindberg Grundberg. She grew up in Cambridge, Minn., graduating from high school there in 1955.

She and her family then moved to Minneapolis, where Helen attended Swedish Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in 1958. After graduation, she worked at Swedish Hospital and concurrently took some classes at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. She also joined the Minnesota Air National Guard.

In 1961, Helen joined the U.S. Air Force with a commission as a second lieutenant. After medical officer training at Gunter AFB in Alabama, Helen began her career as an Air Force nurse with an overseas assignment to Clark Air Base in the Philippines. Subsequent assignments took her to Altus AFB in Oklahoma; Scott AFB in Illinois; Elmendorf AFB in Alaska, where she met her future husband; and Travis AFB in California, where they were married.

In her capacity as an Air Force nurse she worked primarily in pediatrics/obstetrics, but at Scott AFB, she served as a flight nurse, caring for wounded military personnel returning from the Vietnam War. While in the Air Force, Helen traveled the globe, visiting such places as the Soviet Union, India, Japan and T-3 Ice Station near the North Pole. She even attended a Miles Davis concert in West Berlin when East Germany was still under Soviet control.

Helen and then-Capt. Jerome E. Soares were married March 6, 1971. Helen held the rank of captain when she left military service in 1972 to have her daughter and pursue a degree from California State University, Sacramento. Christina was born Aug. 4, 1972, and Helen received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Speech Communication in 1976.

After her military service, she was a school nurse in both Vacaville Unified School District in Vacaville, Calif., and the Anchorage School District. Her husband continued service with the U.S. Air Force until his retirement at Elmendorf in 1989. Helen and Jerome have lived in Anchorage since 1984. Helen ended her working career in 1994 just before her breast cancer diagnosis.

Helen loved traveling, listening to classical music, marching bands, parades, attending the Anchorage Symphony, bird watching, videography, being with her family and having fun with her friends.

Although Helen grew up a Baptist, she had been a member of the East Anchorage Methodist Church since 1976. She was an avid fan of news and politics. Helen loved to attend and cheer on her stepgrandchildren in all of their many pursuits such as softball, volleyball, hockey, baseball and band concert performances.

Helen was a strong and courageous person and battled cancer gracefully. She was fond of saying she would survive long enough to see her first grandchild, and she did. He was born Nov. 1, 2009.

She is survived by her husband, Jerome Soares; daughter, Christina Smith; son-in-law, Paul Smith; grandson, Finnegan Smith; stepgrandson, Alexander Smith; stepgranddaughter, Denali Smith; brother, Carl Grundberg; sister-in-law, Sue Grundberg; and nephew, Michael Grundberg, all of Anchorage. She is also survived by her sister, Miriam Barrett; brother-in-law, Robert Barrett; and nephew, Jon Barrett of Arizona; her sister, Deloris Olson; brother-in-law, Rossmer Olson; nieces, Elizabeth Anderson and Patricia Maguire; and nephew, Paul Olson of Minnesota; her niece, Sandra Franta of Illinois; her sister-in-law, Sheralyn Grundberg; and nephew David Grundberg of Missouri.

Helen was preceded in death by her mother, father and brother, Richard Grundberg.

Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers are welcome at the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation: Susan G. Komen for the Cure, attn: Donor Services, P.O. Box 650309, Dallas, TX 75265-0309.