Helene Acton, born Hélène Ruth Eleanor Texier, passed away in her beautiful home on February 22nd, 2025, surrounded by the love of her family.
Helene was born November 30th, 1929, in Juan Les Pins, on the Cote D'Azur in southern France. She was the daughter of Charles and Ruth Texier, two musicians who met while attending the Liege Conservatory in Brussels. Charles was a French Opera singer, and Ruth was a promising Canadian violinist born in England. In tribute to their love of music, Helene was named after the operetta, La Belle Hélène, by Jacques Offenbach. Helene enjoyed much of the first nine years of her childhood on the shores of the Mediterranean. Later, her family moved to Paris. As her musician parents traveled to perform in Egypt, Vietnam, and other global venues, Helene spent parts of her early years with her grandmother and aunt in rural Provence and the Brittany coast.
In the fall of 1939, young Helene and her mother left France to spend 6 months visiting her mother's relatives in Vancouver, Canada and Southern California. The decision to travel with the rumblings of war brought some trepidation to her parents, but they honestly believed that war would be avoided. In a story she liked to tell later in life, she and her mother sailed up the St. Lawrence River in Canada in early September 1939 just as World War II was erupting in Europe. Helene's return voyage to France was extended well beyond the 6-month period intended.
Initially, Helene and her mother visited relatives in Vancouver and continued with their plans to visit her California relatives in San Bernardino. Helene attended the local elementary school there until she and her mother relocated to Burbank, several years later. Soon, most of her remaining Vancouver relatives moved nearby, and her future as a U.S. citizen became clear. It was not long afterwards that Helene graduated from Burbank High School. She has many fond memories of the friendships she developed during those years.
Around the time of her 18 birthday, Helene met Albert Acton while she and her mother were living in a boarding house. He was a young man from Baltimore who had come to visit his Uncle Eugene Young and stayed! Gene was a talented artist who married Helene's mother and became her stepfather. Helene and her mother insisted that, with marriage, Helene and Al spend a year with her father in France– and they did just that shortly after their wedding in 1950. It was an incredible year! Helene helped Al by transcribing the lectures of classes he attended at the Sorbonne. They both enjoyed traveling to different areas of France and engaging in many cultural experiences.
Upon returning to Southern California, Helene and Al enjoyed time with friends, as Al pursued his career as a public-school educator. Helene worked at Mobil Oil and later assisted in a pediatrician's office until they welcomed their children a few years later. Helene became a devoted mother and cherished her involvement in the Thousand Oaks community where the family moved in 1965. She supported her children's involvement in school activities, scouting, dance, and, of course, music lessons. Summers were spent on family camping trips throughout the Western US-wonderful memories! Most Sundays were filled with her mother and stepfather spending the day, remodeling our home, and landscaping our yard. These Sundays inevitably ended with discussions about world politics and cultural events around the dining room table, with everybody eating and talking. Helene and Al always had opinions!
Helene was supportive of her husband and eager to embark on the adventure of a lifetime when the Acton family spent two years in Thailand in the early 1970s with Al's career in education. This time was relished by all and added so much to Helene's life.
Helene returned to the workforce as a teacher's aide in an elementary school in the late 1970s; she was able to express her passion for early childhood education-especially reading-for all children. As her own children became adults, Helene became more involved in the Thousand Oaks community and in her church at Saint Paschal Baylon where she was a Eucharistic Minister and a member of the Mission Circle, a group that supported the international Church. She enjoyed volunteering at Mary Health of the Sick thrift store; was an eager member of League of Women Voters and election day poll worker; and was an advocate for improvement in our mental health care system.
Pets were important in the family home-over the years there were dogs, goats, chickens, geese, doves, peacocks and koi fish, and even a burro. And Helene also loved her Siamese cats!
Helene cherished the friendships she maintained, particularly with neighbors and those at Saint Paschal Baylon Church. She was always willing to give her time to help others as well as to learn. She enjoyed the intellectual curiosity offered by University Series and her involvement with the Mission Circle.
Helene loved to read and continued with daily newspapers, the Economist, the Los Angeles Diocesan magazine, and America magazine, very often sending children and grandchildren clips of interesting articles or calling and letting them know about what she was reading. In later years, she delved into crossword puzzles even more than before and still excelled in them right to the end. She was also great at Scrabble. Words were her friends, and she knew them well!
When Al passed away suddenly in 1995, Helene continued to stay involved in multiple activities and did so into her late 80s. She traveled to Maryland, Hawaii and Europe several times with her children and grandchildren and encouraged their own travels around the world. She supported her children's love of the outdoors, and over her last years, became environmentally conscious-especially toward issues in Thousand Oaks and Ventura County. She loved the natural beauty of her own home, developed with the tremendous help of her nearby son and daughter-in-law. She was an integral part of her youngest granddaughter Trinity's upbringing, like her grandmother was with her.
When her health started limiting her mobility at age 91, she fiercely protected her independence and enjoyed the time in her home-a home she had cultivated with care over 60 years in Thousand Oaks-filled with waterfalls and trees lovingly created and planted by her husband and son many years ago and the ongoing menagerie of koi fish, birds, squirrels, and dogs that lived with her. And let's not forget the ducks which gave her delicious fresh eggs!
Helene was predeceased by her husband Al and her son Mark (Feb 4, 2025). She is survived by her daughter Danielle Acton (Marc Tunzi), son David Acton (Debbie), grandchildren Gabriela (Martin) Behn, Dominique Tunzi, Matthew (Natalie) Tunzi, and Trinity Acton. In addition, she is survived by 4 great grandchildren - Theodore, Franklin, Wilhelmina, and Giovanni, a brother-in-law and dear cousins as well as several nephews and nieces and their families.
Mom's gift to us, to her friends, and to her community is a reminder that each of us has the power of kindness and compassion for each person. Even in the last week of her life, she was complimenting people on their beautiful smile and so thankful to those who came to visit. She was full of faith and empathy for the marginalized. We believe she would want everyone to honor her with acts of kindness-not just toward those we know, but particularly toward those we don't.
Funeral services will be held Saturday April 5 at 10 am; the service will be held jointly with those for her son, Mark, at St Paschal Baylon in Thousand Oaks. A celebration of her life will occur immediately after at the family home. Please join us!
Donations in her honor may be made to Catholic Charities of Ventura County, St Paschal Baylon, Catholic Relief Services, SOAR (a Ventura County land conservation nonprofit), and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Ventura County.
Rose Family Funeral Home & Cremation on Mar. 8, 2025
