Helga Elisabeth Sobek

Helga Elisabeth (Behrendt) Sobek, 89, of Granby, Connecticut, passed away peacefully after a brief illness with her loving family by her side on Thursday, October 2, 2025. Born on July 25, 1936, in Berlin, Germany, Helga was the daughter of the late Paul and Gertrud (Koreng) Behrendt. Helga was a child during the Second World War, shaped by hardship but never hardened by it. In the years that followed, she and a young man-who had already immigrated to the United States-began writing to one another, exchanging letters that stitched together a quiet romance across an ocean. In December of 1958, Manfred J. Sobek returned to Germany to marry her, and together they began a new chapter in America. She embraced her new life with grace and determination, building a home and, a few years later, a family. She poured love into every corner of that home, nurturing it with the same care she gave her garden, where things bloomed under her touch. She was also an accomplished quilter-her hands telling stories in fabric and thread, creating warmth and beauty for those she loved. Generous with her time and energy, she was the ultimate volunteer-steadfast, reliable, and always ready to help. Whether at church, in the community, or simply wherever a need arose, she showed up with compassion and quiet strength. Later in life, she turned inward to write her own memoir, a gift she passed down to her grandchildren. In it, she reflected on the journey she had walked, and in her parting message, she left them with this simple yet profound advice: "Find something-whether it's paid work or volunteering-that makes you feel good and that you can be proud of." Hers was a life well-lived-not loud or boastful, but deeply meaningful, lovingly woven together like one of her quilts: full of color, care, and stories that will be held close for generations. Helga will be dearly missed by her loving family, her son, Manfred P. Sobek of Granby, CT; daughter, Monica and husband Robert Proctor of Lake George, NY; cherished grandchildren: Derek, his wife Cathleen, and their son, William Proctor of Westwood, MA, Connor, his wife Mollie and their daughter, Lucy Proctor of Cohasett, MA, Trey Proctor of Quincy, MA, Nicholas Sobek of Morris, CT, Duncan Sobek of Morris, CT as well as her extended family and special friends. Predeceased by her husband of 42 years, both her parents, Paul and Gertrud Behrendt, and her sister and brother-in-law, Ilse and Walter Binder. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation in honor of Helga's legacy of faith and service to Granby Congregational Church, UCC, North Campus, 219 North Granby Rd., Granby, CT 06035. A Memorial Service at Granby Congregational will be set for a later date. For online memory and condolences, please visit www.carmonfuneralhome.com