Helen Blakeslee, 98, of Tomball and formerly a longtime resident of San Rafael, California, died November 2, 2017. Born in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia May 14, 1919 Helen was the fourth child of Harry Lewis Peck and Mabel Northcraft Peck. She soon moved to Mentor, Ohio, where she grew up. After graduating from Ohio State University, she returned to Mentor to teach English and Spanish at her high school alma mater.

One of her childhood acquaintances, Ted Blakeslee, was the son of a friend of her father. He was just an acquaintance until 1945, when he came home on a 45-day leave. One of those WW II whirlwind romances ensued - Ted dashing in his uniform, Helen charming young teacher in her 20's. Before the 45-day leave was over, Helen became Mrs. Theodore E. Blakeslee.

After the war ended, Helen completed her teaching obligations in Mentor (1943- 1945) and joined her husband overseas.  Ted and Helen did tours of duty, alternating between Asia and the east coast of the United States. Their children were born during this period - Carol first, Michael two years later.  When Ted was posted in Washington D.C. Helen taught Spanish at George Washington University.  Later they spent two and a half years in Japan.

In 1959 the Blakeslee family settled in San Rafael, California where Helen lived for the next 50 years. She went back to school earning a Master's Degree in Education in August 1966. She taught English at a private girl's school and later English as a Second Language classes at the local community college. In later years she wrote for the Marin Independent Journal a column on language usage and syntax for nine years. She and her imaginary colleague Mr. Wampazoo guided their readers through the mystery of the apostrophe, the puzzle of subject-predicate agreement and the quick sand of the dangling participle.

Although Helen devoted her professional efforts to the teaching of English, she participated in musical activities throughout her life. She sang in the Winifred Baker Chorale, was a president of Marin Music Chest and served in the Thursday Musical. She sang in church choirs in Japan, Maryland and California. She performed on board a ship sailing from the U.S. to Okinawa in 1949. She had a love for poetry, literature, art, symphony concerts & theater.  She enjoyed being involved with her children, grandchildren & great grandchildren singing them songs from long ago, making them paper dolls, watching them perform in theater. She enjoyed walking long walks with friends, family and traveled to Europe with Ted several times. She met people easily and had a joy for life, interested in everything and everyone.

She is survived by her daughter, Carol Cernosek and husband Harvy of Tomball; son, Michael Blakeslee and wife Jane of Sacramento, California ; grandchildren, Caroline Blakeslee and husband Henri, Patrick Blakeslee, Diana Blakeslee Tran and husband Kennedy, Nathan Blakeslee and wife Gloria, Elisabeth Cernosek Lopez and husband Julian, and Jonathan Cernosek; great grandchildren, Charles Henri Lubatti, Theodore Etienne Lubatti, Madison Blakeslee, and Isabella Lopez.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Theodore Edwin Blakeslee in 2008 and by her sisters Effie, Mary Lew and Annie and brother Northcraft.

Memorial services will be held at Salem Lutheran Church 11:00 a.m. Monday November 13, 2017. The family suggests that donations be made to American Heart Association, Bible Study Fellowship International and Salem Lutheran Church Memorial in lieu of flowers.