Helen Wiley

Helen Wiley, 88, died peacefully at home on Monday, November 4, 2024. Her loving husband, Bob, of 45 years was by her side. Everyone admired Helen’s zeal for life. Thankfully, she was active to the end and left this world as she lived on her terms in no pain surrounded by her family.

Helen Elisabeth Holm was born to Andreas Holm and Freddie Wessel on September 18, 1936 in Copenhagen, Denmark. When she was a young child, Denmark was under Nazi occupation and her father was part of the rescue operation to help Danish Jews escape to neutral Sweden. Her father was arrested by the German police and sent to a concentration camp but, fortunately, returned home after the war ended. As Denmark returned to peace, Helen trained to become a seamstress and loved sewing costumes for the Royal Danish Ballet.

While attending a technical college, she met her first husband, Martin Christensen. They married in 1962 and immigrated to the United States. After working on farms in Minnesota and West Virginia, they eventually settled in Montecito, California. Helen would fondly reminisce about working as a waitress at the Biltmore and as a seamstress at I. Magnin department store. During this time, she had her two children, Peter and Ninette. Eventually she established her sewing business out of her home and had many loyal customers until her retirement. She also met the love of her life, Bob, and they married in 1979.

Helen and Bob moved to a beautiful home in Carpinteria where she spent lots of time in her garden growing the most colorful flowers and plants. She loved skiing, tennis, golf and walking her dog on the beach every day. These activities brought her many friends. She took up golf in her fifties after joining La Cumbre Country Club. Joining La Cumbre greatly expanded her world where she developed many wonderful relationships playing golf and bridge. Friends she would cherish for the rest of her life. Of course, her greatest joy was spending time with her family and being a much-loved grandmother.

She is survived by her husband, Robert “Bob” Wiley; son, Peter Christensen and wife, Cara; daughter, Ninette Lee and husband, Christopher; stepson, Robert Wiley; 5 grandchildren: Kelsey Fish and husband, Ryan, Summer Christensen, Poppy Christensen, Bryant Lee, and Colin Lee; 4 step grandchildren, Nicholas Wiley, Abby Wiley, Jack Wiley, and Brooke Wiley; her sisters, Nina Holm, Lika Jensen, and Bettina Illum, and their families; and her faithful dog, Walter. She is preceded in death by her parents; her step granddaughter, Ashley Wiley; and many other faithful dogs.

To celebrate Helen’s life, a reception will be held at the Santa Barbara Club on February 8, 2025