Helen May Tonkin

NEW HARTFORD — Helen May (Reed) Tonkin died peacefully at mid-day on Sept. 9, 2009, at Cherry Brook Health Care Center in Canton with her devoted husband of 50 years, Robert Linnell Tonkin of New Hartford, by her side.

Mrs. Tonkin was born on Jan. 3, 1920, in Bristol to Amelia (Kohl) and William Wallace Reed. She grew up in Bristol and graduated in 1941 from the Teachers’ College of Connecticut (now Central Connecticut State University). She received her master’s degree in education from the University of Hartford in 1958. She taught for a couple of years in Bristol.

Mr. and Mrs. Tonkin were married in February1959. In 1960, their daughter, Priscilla, was born. In 1964, they moved to New Hartford, the birthplace of her paternal grandfather, Seymour Wilcox Reed. In 1966, she took the position of librarian at the Bakerville Library. She remained in this position until her retirement in 1993.

Mrs. Tonkin was active as a 4-H member and is fondly remembered as a leader in the 4-H programs, both in Hartford and Litchfield counties. She was a long-standing member of the New Hartford Garden Club and an active member of the New Hartford Historical Society. She loved gardening and joyfully shared plants from the abundance of her Nepaug garden with her friends and family. She is most fondly remembered for the extra diligence and thoughtfulness she had for remembering exactly in which topics or books library-goers were interested. She would often go out of her way to procure and then hand-deliver precisely the right book or other literature to the person who needed it. The last day of Bakerville Library Story Time each June was held in her garden, with mothers and children all enjoying the morning explorations through woods and garden, with lemonade and refreshments for all. She also started the Bakerville Marketplace fair, which thrives to this day on the grounds of the Bakerville Library on the first Saturday of August.

Mrs. Tonkin was predeceased by her parents. In addition to her husband, Robert, she is survived by her sister, Mildred Emily Reed of Bristol; and a daughter, Priscilla Tonkin Marshall, and son-in-law, Robert Joseph Marshall of New Hartford; a sister-in-law, Sandra Dils Tonkin Hennen of Madison; a niece, Pamela Tonkin Meier and husband, Giovanni Meier, and their three daughters of Madison; and nieces, Patricia Mather Morrell of Eastham, Mass., Gatria Mather Wheeler of Eastham, Mass., and Deborah Mather Stoudenmire of Charlotte, N.C.; and many grandnieces, grandnephews and cousins.

There are no calling hours. A memorial service will be held in Mrs. Tonkin’s honor Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, at 10 a.m. at Harwinton Congregational Church, Route 4, Harwinton. A luncheon will follow at 11:30 a.m., at the Eureka Grange Hall, Route 202, Nepaug. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Bakerville Library, 6 Maple Hollow Road, New Hartford, CT 06057, The New Hartford Historical Society, PO Box 41, New Hartford, CT 06057, or the Resident Council of Cherry Brook Health Care Center, 102 Dyer Ave., Canton, CT 06019. Montano-Shea Funeral Home, New Hartford, has care of the arrangements. Mrs. Tonkin’s family thanked the staff at Cherry Brook Health Care Center for their kindness, care and love for Helen during her time there. Visit an online guestbook at montano-shea.com.