Helen Vaughn

Beloved Mother, Grandmother and Great-grandmother, Helen Vaughn, 88, passed away on March 20, 2024 at her home in Silver City, NM, surrounded by her family.  Helen was born on May 10, 1935 in Lanai City, HI to Shinji and Miyono Yamato.

Helen grew up in Lanai City, HI, she enrolled at the University of Hawaii (Manoa campus) when she was encouraged by other Hawaiians to transfer to a school on the mainland, Western New Mexico University in Silver City, NM. 

Helen and her good friend, Shirley Nunotani, decided to embark upon this adventure as roommates and enrolled at WNMU.  Once they arrived in Silver City, it was there that they met their future husbands, Roger Vaughn and Dick Smith who happened to be roommates themselves.  This made things easy as they swapped roommates!  Of course, Helen and Roger eventually married, as did Dick and Shirley!

Roger and Helen were married in Bayard, NM in 1956.  They remained happily married for 60 years until Roger’s passing in 2017.  Helen dedicated her life to raising her own 5 children and one of her nephews as well.  She is survived by these six children, 14 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.

Helen was passionate about her houseplants and gardening, she loved spending time with her family, especially the younger generations.  She was also an avid reader and fan of the cinema.  Helen loved her home state of Hawaii although having made New Mexico her home for nearly the last 70 years.

Helen was preceded in death by her husband Roger in 2017, her parents and siblings Shimako, Tetsuo, Shizue and Takeo.

Helen is survived by her daughter Marylee Bell and husband Mark Bell of Silver City, daughter Laura (Jeannie) and husband Jeff Barela of Santa Fe, NM, daughter Diana Vaughn of Silver City, son Les Yamato and wife Lili Suchoff of Katy, TX, daughter Janice Vaughn of Silver City, son Roger Vaughn Jr. and wife Stacey of Peoria, AZ and all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Cremation has taken place and a celebration of her life will be held at Baca’s Funeral Chapel, 3805 Delk Dr., Silver City, NM at 3:00pm on Friday, May 10 (Helen’s 89th birthday).  The family will greet friends and relatives at a reception to follow the memorial service at the Masonic Lodge, 11 S. Ridge Road, Silver City, NM.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorial donations be made to charity of your own choosing.

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