A beautiful, loving, and most precious woman entered her Heavenly Home when Helen H. Froyen, age 84, unexpectedly passed away on April 15, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.
Helen was preceded in death by her husband, LeRoy (Butch) Froyen; granddaughter, Rachel Peckham; her parents, Thomas and Cordie Harris; sister, Mamie Gray (James); their son, Jimmy; brother-in-law, Mike Eckhart.
She is survived by her loving son, Eric Froyen, and wife, Stacy, children Dean and Joel; her daughter, Lisa Peckham, and husband, John; her beloved Nadine Mitchell (a.k.a. bossy pants); her sister, Macie Eckhart; brother- and sister-in-law, Bob and Janet Froyen; cousin-in-law Art and Marilyn Waaland; multiple nieces and nephews, as well as great-nieces and nephews.
Helen was born in Lawrenceburg, TN, on August 18, 1940, to Thomas and Cordie Harris as the youngest of three beautiful girls.
She loved growing up in a small town where she would often walk to Main Street to go to the movies. She graduated from Lawrence County High School in 1958, where she was head majorette and band secretary, played the clarinet, and was also crowned Miss Law-Co-Hi of 1958. Her love for being a majorette gave her a passion for teaching baton lessons to children. One of her favorite childhood stories was sneaking into the local beauty parlor, where she claimed that her mother had given permission for her to get her hair cut. However, in a small town, news travels fast, and by the time she got home, her mother was waiting and already knew of her ‘little white lie’ and afternoon adventure.
Helen graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from Middle Tennessee State College in 1961 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She was named to the Who’s Who of American Colleges and Universities in 1961. She diligently attended college in the summer so that she could graduate in 3 years. Her fondest memories of college were meeting the love of her life, Butch Froyen, one day while playing pool. She also frequently spoke of the summer that she and her sister, Macie, roomed together in college while Macie was completing her degree. After college, she took on her first job teaching typing, shorthand, and other business courses. Her knowledge and use of shorthand remained with her throughout her lifetime, and her children would often find notes around the house coded in shorthand.
She married Butch in 1962 and became a USAF military wife. They quickly became a family of four with the addition of their two children, Eric and Lisa. Helen absolutely loved being a mother and adored her two children, always providing a soft, safe, comforting place for them to land. She encouraged them along life’s journey, always reminding them of the Golden Rule, to treat others as one would want to be treated by them. Military life afforded her family the opportunity to live in many different locations in the US, as well as being stationed in Germany. While over in Germany, they explored Europe in all of its beauty; however, her favorite by far was vacationing in Switzerland. She also spent many miles with her family walking on Volksmarches, earning numerous 20K and 30K medals. She also acquired a love for German cuckoo clocks and had quite the collection of them.
Helen had many hobbies, including sewing, playing tennis, golf, and bowling, where she played in several leagues. She also loved to play the piano and sang in the church choir. She spent many years shopping with her sidekick, Janet, trying to find the best bargain in town, stopping only to refuel with a smoothie from Tropical Smoothie Café. However, her favorite pastime was going on cruises with her family, where she made a lot of fun memories that she spoke of often.
In the early 1980s, she transitioned from a military wife to a pastor’s wife after her husband retired from the USAF and became a Staff Pastor. She also spent some of those years as the church secretary for the senior pastor. Her main focus and passion was women’s ministry, where she loved sharing her wisdom, her experiences, and her faith in Christ.
She truly loved family, spending quality time with her children and their spouses around the dinner table and going out to their favorite restaurants—it was an experience getting all of us in one car!
Life brought a few bundles of joy to the family. Rachel was her firstborn grandchild and held a very special place in her heart. She loved spending Fridays with her and numerous sleepovers at Grandma’s house. Her grandsons, Dean and Joel, soon followed. She enjoyed going to their many sporting events in the early years and also formed a strong connection with them during their early adult years.
Helen’s later years brought on some changes as she navigated a life with dementia. She moved in with her son and family in Yorktown, VA, where she thoroughly enjoyed being pampered and catered to. Her entire family affectionately (and sarcastically) dubbed her, “The Queen of York” and she loved every minute of it! Her most recent months brought on a new set of health challenges, but through it all, she kept that special, contagious smile on her face and was full of joy with a grateful heart towards others. In her final days, suffering from tremendous physical pain from a fall and hip surgery, she shared a profound but simplistic final life message: to love God with all of your heart, take care of each other, and spread love to those around you. In doing so, your life will proclaim the goodness of God. And now these three remain: Faith, Hope, and Love. The greatest of these is love. 1 Cor. 13:13.
A Celebration of Life will be held Monday, April 28, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church, 1209 Hampton Highway, Yorktown, with a gathering of friends, family, and refreshments immediately following in the church fellowship hall. A private burial will be held at Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery at a later date.
If you wish to donate to a charity dear to Helen’s heart, please consider donating to St. Mary’s Home for Disabled Children or to the Horton Veterans’ Wreath Society.
