Helen Faye Gilbert

Helen Faye Gilbert of Turlock died Nov. 30. She was 84.

Gilbert was born on Nov. 1, 1933 to James and Mary Bathgate in Kidder, Missouri. She graduated from high school in Hamilton, Missouri and worked for a short time in Kansas City, Missouri. At the age of 18 she moved to Livermore, California with her friend, Patsy Connor.

She was married to Billie T. Gilbert on Nov. 7, 1952 in Livermore; they were happily married for 61 years until he passed away in Feb. 2014.

Gilbert was a daycare provider for several years. She also worked as a phone operator and did support services at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. She kept in touch with her closest coworkers, who retired together from the Lab. She enjoyed painting, quilting, hiking, cooking, traveling with her husband all over North America and watching her grandchildren grow to adulthood. She was an avid pet lover and provided a home to many dogs and cats. She and her husband were dedicated members of the Golden Anchor Boat Club, and they also enjoyed RV-ing with their good friends and family throughout the Western United States and Mexico.

Gilbert is survived by her two children: daughter, Linda (Philip) Tarne, and son, Donald (Lisa) Gilbert; her five grandchildren, Benjamin Tarne (Breeana Mitchell), Emily (Sebastian) Marlowe, Laura (Michael) Leipold, Amber (Luke) Tatman, Jack Gilbert; and six great grandchildren, Autumn Tatman, Kora Lynn Gilbert, Hudson Gilbert, Gavin Marlowe, Isaac Tarne and Anthony Marlowe; her brother, Donald L. Bathgate and wife, Patsy; as well as the rest of her family and friends.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Billie; her parents, James and Mary Bathgate; her sisters, Marjorie McClain and Maurine Gould, and her brother, Clarence Bathgate; as well as her great grandson, Jakob W. Tatman.

A celebration of life was recently held at her home in Turlock.