Welcome to the Web site of Helen Ip
This is not only a memorial website but is also a platform of sharing thoughts about life. This is a living site and will be updated regularly. Do send me an email at roqueip@rogers.com if you have any comments or sharing and I'll post them in my "Public Sharing" webpage.
Click the picture on the left to access the memorial book of Helen. It was beautifully complied by Tom (聿鈞), a wonderful church member in Dallas. Thank you Tom - good job. You know what, Helen's book has been read by so many people all over the world. It is truly a witness of God.
Jack
and Helen got connected in 1998. They shared the wisdom of life
through Mary Ann. I have captured in this web site Jack's sharing about life in
video clips. He is 68 now and has been paralyzed
since he was 19 in a car accident. Yet, he is still full of life.
You may wonder how his soul, mind, and body work together to stay alive
happily. He said, "Love" is life and "Fear" is death. His sharing are worth watching.
Check out the link "Helen,
Jack, and Mary Ann".
"As we pass through life’s journey we meet people whose lives touch ours making us better people. They are gifts of God to us.
Helen was certainly a precious gift of God to all with whom she lived and shared her life in loving service." - Fr. Alfred J. Deignan S.J
"我由衷感謝天主賜給我這樣有愛心的一群，我深深被他們感動，從他們的愛，我透徹體驗到天主存留在我們中間。天主就是愛，在我患病過程中，具體顯示了出來。 也因為天主存留在我們中間，我現在內心的平安、喜樂比未患病前多了何止百倍、千倍，真是可以說是因病得福。" - Helen Ip
"What I liked in Helen was her dedication, her availability, her simplicity. It did not take long for me to realize that she was a good teacher.
Her gentle dealing with the students, not disjoint from firmness, allowed her to control the class without tension, her deep religious conviction
(Helen was a practising Catholic!) and open mind made her understanding of youthful frailties, her gentle attitude made her acceptable to her charges." - Sr. Ida
葉陳素衡校長(Helen)與美德中文學校
大概是1997年的8月，Helen透過朋友間接地認識了當時的美德校長，就這樣，她便成了美德老師。那一學年，Helen 教高級中文班，每次上課後，她總是甜滋滋的向我報告，她教的學生在測驗或默書時又得了滿分。聽後我總會笑她：
『妳一定又通水啦。妳要小心，那些學生都是美德理事的仔女，他們一定會找您麻煩。』
『哼，我是真材實料的，我才不怕他們呢！不信，他們可以撿查我的測驗卷，內容豐富又生動，學生不知多喜歡，我只不過用手指快速寫些字在空氣中，他們就能準確地填上答案，大家都不知多開心。』
這樣，Helen便與高年班學生既輕鬆又愉快地共渡了差不多一個學年。其實Helen在香港時，曾在聖瑪利書院任教F.6 & F.7心理學、英文及宗教等科目。那時的學生和那位被譽為『惡死』的意大利修女校長Sr. Ida都很喜歡她的生動及有趣的教學方法。所以面對那既要求高但友善的美德理事們，Helen一定能應付自如兼『冇有怕』。可能正因如此，在學年還未結束時，她給力邀補上即將離任結緍的校長。
就在Helen與致勃勃地跟美德理事們籌備下學年的事宜時，她的婦科醫生要安排她在5月初做切除子宮大手術。她欣然接受了天主的安排，張羅代課老師替她教該學年餘下的兩節課。Helen出院兩週後，一位特別盡責但不懂體恤病人的理事拿來一大堆書本和文件到我們家給Helen開工。那時我真的有點怒氣，Helen竟不以為然，忘記了手術後傷的痛楚，一絲不拘地開始了美德校長的職責。
暑假後，在開學不到一個月，她的cancer腫瘤開始慢慢長大，要服用止痛藥，一天四至五次。作為校『公』，只好默默地支持她，為她隨身準備一些小食和礦泉水以便她吃藥時用。當我靜靜地問她痛不痛時，她都輕鬆地回答，
『忙了就不用坐下，那便不覺痛了』。
記得在聖誕節前最後一天上課，興祝會完畢後，有一位學生的家長遲遲未來接放學，於是我和Helen便留下來在學校門外一起陪伴那位小朋友等候。那時候剛巧Helen需要吃一片止痛藥，我很自然地掏出一條朱古力 (Ensure) 給她送藥。Helen望着那位小朋友，笑了一笑，便將朱古力分一半給那位像有點餓的學生。我現在還清析地記得那一幕場景，校長與學生開心地分享一條朱古力。
Helen一如既往，都會穿着合乎場合的衣服，她最喜歡穿那深色直條花紋的西式套裝衫褲回中文學校當校長。有一次我和一位北歐女同事在車上老遠看見Helen 拿着我送給她作生日禮物的公事包，我告訴同事，她就是我的當校長的太太。那位同事竟然口登目呆地瞪望着Helen，喃喃自語地說：『Wow, she is gorgeous!』。對呀！那刻她真的很美。
謹借美德中文學校的 Anniversary Book，分享Helen一些難忘而有趣的瑣事吧！
Helen 的校『公』- ROQUE IP (Dec 2007)