Obituary of Helen Baldau McPhail

Helen Margaret Baldau McPhail, 87, of La Porte was born on March 5, 1932, in Houston, Texas, and passed away on Monday, July 29, 2019. Helen resided in LaPorte since 1955.

She is preceded in death by her parents, George Baldau and Frieda Nitsch; son, Reagan McPhail, and brother, Fred Baldau. Left to cherish her memory is her sister, Velma Lingo; son, Mike McPhail and wife, Cindy; daughter, Lisa McPhail and partner, Johnnie Hogan; daughter-in-law Daryl McPhail; grandchildren, Clint, Jenna, Kelly, and Krista; great grandchildren, Nolan, Sydney, and Brooks, as well as nieces, nephews, and a host of dear friends.

Helen was a wonderful woman whose heart was full of love for others. She will be missed by those who knew and loved her. Helen loved music and dancing; even after she lost her mobility, you’d find her tapping a foot to the beat!

As a devoted Mother, she was her children’s “greatest fan.” Even while working full-time, she rarely missed their sporting and drama events. She was a caring Memaw to her grandchildren and could always be spotted supporting them at their events.

Helen also loved traveling, cooking, gardening, and playing games. Good luck trying to beat her at Scrabble! Helen was a ground-breaking DIYer before it was popular, so she always managed to keep things together at home. With Helen’s heritage of half-Romanian and half-German, she came by her strength, resiliency, and stoicism naturally.

She showed great compassion and love for her family, friends, and animals. Helen, though frugal for things for herself, was happiest when entertaining others. You are blessed if you ever attended one of her backyard get-togethers. Helen would want to be remembered as the person who lived and loved loudly.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Hope Village http://hope-village.com/. Services for Helen will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, August 3, 2019, at Clayton Funeral Home Chapel, 201 South 3^rd Street, La Porte, Texas, 77571. The Visitation will be from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Friday, August 2, 2019, also at the Clayton Funeral Home Chapel – La Porte location. Immediately following the service, there will be a gathering at the Fire Training Center, 12201 North C Street, La Porte, Texas, 77571. Interment will be at Perry Cemetery in Cypress at a later date.