Helen C. Mikolji passed away peacefully on December 7, 2020 in Rochester NY. She was 67. A beloved sister, aunt, great-aunt, and godmother, Helen was predeceased by her parents Adele C. Mikolji and Boris H. Mikolji. She is survived by sisters Dora Rosser and Vera Forster (Timothy), nieces Christina Forster, Madeline Forster (Kyle Joyce) and Nina Rosser, and grandnephews Charles Forster and Nikola Forster.
Helen was born in Cleveland, OH though spent most of her life in the Rochester NY area. She held degrees in Social Work (Rochester institute of Technology) and Urban Planning (McGill University). Helen was employed by Catholic Charities Community Services of Rochester, the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, The Harris Poll, Gordon S. Black Corporation and WXXI Public Broadcasting.
Private services were held on December 12, 2020. An open celebration of Helen’s life is being planned for late summer 2021. Please return to this website for information as COVID restrictions lift, or if you would like to be notified personally about this event, please send your contact information to drosser@rochester.rr.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Catholic Family Center of Rochester, or to Monroe County Meals on Wheels, in Helen’s name.
Comments
15 responses to “Mikolji, Helen C.”
I worked with Helen at WXXI. We had a lot of fun doing the online auctions.
I am so sorry for your loss. Helen was quite the personality. A year ago she gave me some of her beloved plants. They are still thriving.
I went to school with Helen (Fairport Class of ’71). I am so sorry to hear of her passing. My condolences to the family.
We are Helen’s backyard neighbors. Sorry to hear of her passing. She was always so friendly and sharing. Since Jim is a plumbing technician, she always hoped he would put in a bathroom on the first floor of her home. Please let us know when a celebration ceremony is scheduled.
I am grateful to have known Helen for almost 40 years. We shared long term friendships with a special group of women who met while working together. We have lost our bright, funny, and feisty friend. I will miss you and your bright light.
I knew Helen from our days at McGill University and we stayed in touch. She was a kind, thoughtful person who loved to laugh and travel and always found the joy and adventure in life. She will be missed.
I am sorry to hear of Helen’s passing. In the early 90’s, I lived with Helen for a few years at her Culver Rd apartment. I always looked forward to her Christmas tree, with all of her mother’s handmade ornaments. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
My heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Vera, Dora and family. I’ve known Helen for 40 years, having worked with her at The Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired. Our group of six ladies has now been reduced to five, and her absence will be greatly felt Helen was our historian, our trip and party planner, and our dreamer whose intelligence, wit, sense of fun and spirit will be missed. May Helen rest in peace and know she was loved.
Helen has been a neighbor for over 10 years. I am very sorry to hear of her passing. Helen has been battling health issues valiantly for the past few years so I am relieved that she has found peace. Helen was unique and I always appreciated her humor!.
I will miss Helen’s thoughtfulness and humor. She lifted my spirits on her occasional visits, and she was a wonderful friend to the family. God bless you dear Helen.
Helen you were a great and loyal friend since the mid 1960’s. Eventhough I moved away to Maryland you were so faithful in keeping in touch over the years. I enjoyed your visits to Maryland and you were a great tour guide for the Rochester area, always planning day trips to interesting places and introducing me to some interesting cuisines. I will miss your enthusiasm, humor, wisdom and care for me and my family. I will especially miss you at the holidays when you opened your apartment and then house to us so we could enjoy your decorations and hospitality
I am praying you are happy now being free of so many physical problems. You will always be remembered and missed.
All my love to Vera and Dora during this time.
Helen was a friend to me since sixth grade, I remember when she first showed up in Miss Niles’ class! I have so many memories even from recent years of times we got together and shared a meal at some restaurant. Helen was always looking for fun, and I will miss her greatly. Joel and I also had Helen attend our wedding, and we also shared a trip to Toronto with her, and she always wanted to take me on excursions around Roch-cha-cha. It was so sad to watch in the last four years as she struggled
with various serious problems. She always kept her chin up and her stubbornness was a big plus.
My husband and I were neighbors. I remember the year she threw a backyard party and invited all of us around to come. What an undertaking for her, but what a grand fete! She was a wonderful hostess and we had such fun chatting and getting to know each other. Another time, she shared that she had a pile of Christmas red scarves. She had always hoped they’d be used to carol the neighborhood. And so she was the inspiration some years ago to do exactly that! She made up caroling booklets, and we strolled the street serenading homes and passing out goodies. She was funny and delightful, colorful, generous, kind and I will miss her. She was a gift to our neighborhood.
I am so sad and sorry my friend Helen has passed away. We had a friendship that blossomed from our days at McGill University now 40 years ago. My family grew to love and enjoy Helen too; in 2012 my father insisted we drive to Rochester from Ottawa Canada so we could see Helen (for the last time it turned out). While in Rochester we had the chance to see Helen’s beloved mother and Vera. Helen joined my family for our October Canadian Thanksgiving celebration dinners a few times over the years. What great times we had! Helen was a wonderful spontaneous women who loved to learn as much as she could about each person she encountered. My son Nathan, my two sisters Constance and Justine along with their “children” all share with me in expressing sorrow that Helen is gone. I have many memories and pictures to remember Helen with. I am sorry you suffered Helen. May you now rest in peace my friend. My deepest condolences to Dora, Vera and Tim and their beautiful girls and families.
I’m from the street behind but the next block. I met Helen through her neighbor Jeanne and I would always say hello when cycling by. Helen donated a nice WXXI basket for a door prize the year that I was neighborhood President. I raked her front yard in late March (a warm day) to help out since she was always so nice. (She thanked me through Jeanne). We have let Jeanne know of Helen’s passing since Jeanne just moved. Condolences to all.