Helen Marie Bouchard

Helen Marie (Van Keulen) Bouchard passed away peacefully on July 18, 2025, at Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago. To the end, Helen maintained her sense of humor, deep gratitude toward her doctors, caregivers, and family, and her enduring love for life.

Helen was the beloved mother of Marc Hugh Bouchard (Victoria) and cherished grandmother of Olivia Ann, Skylar Sophia, Rene, and Niki Bouchard. She was preceded in death by her son Paul James Bouchard, stepchildren Bill and Judy Bouchard, and her loving spouse, Thomas Bouchard.

Helen was born on August 17, 1933, on the West Side of Chicago, near Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica. She was the eighth of ten children born to Marie and Johan Van Keulen, immigrants from Nijmegen and Rotterdam, Holland. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her three brothers: Adrian John, John Joseph, and William Anthony, and her six sisters: Adriana Johanna (Pearson), Marie (Cox), Theresa Marie (Edwards), Anna Christine (Scaglione), Patricia Marie (Gold), and Dorothy Ann (Rios).

Helen grew up during the Great Depression in a poor Italian neighborhood. Her mother suffered a stroke when Helen was just 2 1/2 years old, and she, along with her sisters Theresa and Anna, spent a year living on a farm in Wilmington, IL, at the home of a sister of the local priest. When they returned in 1936, Helen was raised as much by her older sister Adriana as by her recovering mother. She was bashful, a bit clumsy, and always put others' needs before her own.

Helen worked as a switchboard operator for Illinois Bell, where she met and later married Tom Bouchard on May 2, 1959. In the five years that followed, they moved to Arizona, welcomed their sons Marc (1962) and Paul (1964), and she also became a devoted stepmother to Tom's children, Bill and Judy.

The family returned to Chicago in 1968, and Helen began a long and successful career at Motorola, where she advanced from switchboard operator to a position in industrial engineering as an analyst.

Helen loved her many dogs and had stories about each of them. She was an avid reader and passionate about politics. However, the joy of her life was helping to care for her two granddaughters, Olivia and Skylar.

Per Helen's wishes, she was cremated, and a celebration of life will be held in her honor.

Helen's Life will be celebrated on Sunday, August 31, 2025, at Phyllis' Musical Inn, 1800 W Division St, Chicago, IL, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.