Helena K Rutkowski

Helena Kunz Rutkowski age 85, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Friday, April 28, 2023 at her home in Huntington Beach California. Helena was born on June 12, 1937 in Rawa Ruska, Poland to John and Agnes Kunz, the fourth of seven children to be born in the family. As a young child, Helena, her parents and her siblings, were imprisoned in various Nazi labor camps throughout Poland and Germany during World War II. Miraculously, all of her family members survived. After the American liberation of the camps, Helena and her family were placed in a refugee camp in Amburg Germany. After four years, the family was sponsored to immigrate to the United States by St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Fairfield, Montana arriving through Ellis Island in July 1949. The family settled in Great Falls, Montana where Helena, to the horror of the nuns, used Popeye comic strips to learn English. Helena moved to New Jersey in her early twenties when her elder sister Amy was getting married and she lived with older sister and new brother in law for a number of years. Helena met Janusz "John" Rutkowski at a Fourth of July picnic in 1961. John had claimed he fell in love with Helena at first sight. Helena and John were married in San Mateo, CA in a Catholic Ceremony on May 26,1962. After being a homemaker for many years, Helena became an Instructional Aide and worked with Willmore Elementary School in Westminster, CA and Stacey Intermediate School in Huntington Beach, CA. As a parishioner at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Westminster, CA, Helena assisted the sponsorship and relocation of two Polish families immigrating to Orange County, volunteered at annual parish festivals, and served as a Eucharistic minister. Later Helena transitioned into local politics and community service, serving on the Westminster School Board from 1996 to 2004 and on the Orange County Grand Jury soon after. Helena always had a smile on her face and a song in her heart. She lit up every room she entered with her outgoing personality and quick wit. She thrived on being the center of attention, often referred to and thought of herself as "The Queen" and used her fiery, bold personality to always entertain those she knew and loved. Helena is survived by daughters Danuta (Dana) Swanson and Kika (Tom) Cochran; granddaughter Tiffany Drohan (Alec Sedlachek); sister Emilia Bomwell; brother John (Colleen) Kunz; nieces Krystyna Emilia, Barb Milstead, and Lorrie Osborn; nephews Stanley Sczyrek and Christopher Kunz; and great nephew Ethan Veitch; along with dear friends. Helena was preceded in death by husband Janusz "John" Rutkowski; parents John and Agnes Kunz; brothers Thomas and Kasimir Kunz; sisters Stella Kunz and Anne "Nuni" Israelski; and nephews Richard Rachwal, John Sczyrek, and Dennis Kunz. To honor Helena's life, a Funeral will be held at St. Bonaventure Catholic Parish in Huntington Beach on Friday, June 16, 2023 at 12:00pm. All who knew and loved Helena are invited to attend to remember her and celebrate her wonderful life. The family has requested attendees to wear red, white or blue to commemorate Helena's love of being an American citizen. A Celebration Reception will immediately follow the service at St. Bonaventure Catholic Parish. In lieu of flowers, for family and friends so wishing, donations in Helena's memory may be made to Caritas Polska, the largest charity organization in Poland, to support Ukrainian refugees in Poland: https://caritas.pl/ukraine.