Helen Staats

Our beloved matriarch, Helen Staats, passed peacefully on Saturday, February 7th. She was the cherished daughter of Karol Bakomenko and Anna Kowalozuk. After the sudden loss of her father, Helen was lovingly raised by her mother on Wilmington’s East Side, where she learned resilience, kindness, and grace.

Helen attended St. Mary’s School and St. Paul’s Commercial School and was a proud graduate of Wilmington High School. Her brother Ray introduced her to his friend Ritchie Staats, and from that simple introduction grew a beautiful love story that lasted an extraordinary 70 years of marriage.

Helen worked at the Wilmington Public Library and John Wanamaker’s before embarking on one of her favorite chapters. In 1961, she and Ritchie purchased a small beach resort on the Elk River, which they ran together with care and dedication until 1988. In retirement, they relocated to Fort Lauderdale, where they embraced life fully—traveling the world and creating treasured memories across Europe, Asia, Polynesia, South America, and the American West.

After Ritchie’s passing, Helen moved to Pennsylvania to be closer to family. She will be remembered as a gentle, kind-hearted woman with a quiet strength and a wonderful sense of humor. When asked how she was doing, she often smiled and replied that she was “overworked and underpaid,” a reflection of her wit and warmth.

Helen took great pride in her family and found her deepest joy in time spent with them. She is survived by her loving daughters, Carol Sheaffer (Randy) and Janet Staats (Bill). She adored her grandchildren, Aleksandra (Dan), Mary Paige (Greg), and Staats, and was especially delighted by her great-grandchildren, Ella, Colton, and Jeremiah, whom she loved watching grow.

She will be deeply missed by her “big brother,” Ray Bakomenko; her sister-in-law, Kathy Staats; and her dear friend, Lois, as well as all who were fortunate enough to know and love her.

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to Ware Presbyterian Village, Meadowcrest, and Christiana Care for their devoted care, and to Willow Tree and Vitas for their compassion, comfort, and support during Helen’s final days.

Friends and family may honor Helen’s memory by making a donation to the Wilmington Firefighters Benevolent Fund or the Sunday Breakfast Mission through Crouch Funeral Home, 127 South Main Street, North East, Maryland 21901.

May her memory be a blessing and her legacy of love live on.