Helen Mason, 80

Sister Helen Mason, a Sister of Providence for 61 years, died Aug. 28, 2026, at Swedish First Hill Medical Center in Seattle.

Born on Nov. 6, 1945, as the only child of Agnes Mary (Ruzicka) and Roland Richard Mason, the proud self-proclaimed “farm girl,” she was raised on her maternal grandparents’ farm near Walla Walla, Wash.

Sr. Helen was educated by the Sisters of Providence and followed her dream of becoming a teacher after graduating from Walla Walla’s DeSales High School in 1964 (as co-valedictorian). She entered the community that year, became a Novitiate in 1965, and professed her Final Vows in 1973. She also earned a BA and an MRE (master's in religious education) from Seattle University. 

Her first ministry came in the classroom, as a sixth-grade teacher at St. Francis Xavier School in Missoula, Mont. (1969-71). She then answered a significant call from the Diocese of Boise to form a religious education program in northern Idaho. Based in Coeur d’Alene, she drove thousands of miles every year, interacting with and inspiring inactive Catholics for nearly a decade.

In 1980, Sr. Helen moved west to minister in parish ministry at St. Mary’s Parish in the Spokane Valley. 

Sr. Helen was a passionate lifelong learner, especially in the history of her religious community, and computerized the files of 800 Sisters. She served on the boards of four Providence hospitals throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Sr. Helen will be remembered for her fantastic mentorship and organizational skills, and for her regal smile. She is preceded in death by her parents and is survived by extended family and the Sisters in her community.

Memorial contributions may be made in Sr. Helen’s honor to the Sisters of Providence Retirement Fund, 1801 Lind Avenue SW, M1-C, Renton, WA 98057-9016.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Sept. 29, 2026, at the Chapel at St. Joseph Residence, 4800 37th Ave SW (Seattle).