Helen Weathers

Helen Raley Nash Weathers was born November 8, 1936, in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and bid her final adieu on February 7, 2022, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the age of 85. She lived a charmed childhood growing up on the campus of Oklahoma Baptist University with her beloved parents and brother - Dr. John Wesley Raley, Helen Thames Raley, and John Jr. She remained a proud "Okie" throughout her life. After graduating from Oklahoma Baptist University, Helen relocated to Waco, Texas, to attend Baylor University. Soon after, she met James Roberts Nash and they married in 1958. They had one daughter, Sandra. Helen was passionate about community involvement and spent years volunteering for the Waco Chapter of the American Heart Association, the Stroke Club, Camp Fire Girls, and the Junior League, including her tenure as president of the Junior League during the 1975-76 American Bicentennial. She also presented a series of lectures on American art through the Historic Waco Foundation for ten years. She was a board member for the Waco Art Center, Brazos Forum, and Fuzzy Friends Rescue. An accomplished artist, writer, and speaker, she was known for her vibrant personality and endless supply of creativity. Helen was also known for having a canine companion close by most of the time (even in places where dogs weren't allowed). She reunited with and later married her old friend Robert Weathers in 1989. They were members of First United Methodist Church and enjoyed many social and traveling adventures with close friends during their years together. Robert preceded Helen in death in 2010. In 1995, on the night of her 59th birthday, Helen suffered a life-altering brain aneurysm and spent months in the hospital and rehab. The story of her miraculous recovery garnered national attention, including the publishing of her account in the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. It was during this time that Helen became an inspirational speaker for stroke education and recovery. Helen relocated with her family to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2021. She always told everyone "When I die, I'm not going to heaven - I'm going to Santa Fe!" She is survived by her daughter, Sandra Nash Delk (Steven); grandchildren, Christopher Heathcott (Katie), and Laura Michael (Joseph); great-grandchildren, Colette and Josephine Michael; nephews, John and Robert Raley and their families; and cousin, Elsa Sanders, of Waco. Helen loved a wide circle of cousins and friends who will dearly miss her. "She always brought the fun." A Celebration of Life will be held at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home in Waco, Texas, at 12pm on Sunday, February 13. Helen will be laid to rest alongside the Raley family in Resthaven Memorial Park, Shawnee, Oklahoma. Honorary pallbearers are Steven Delk, Christopher Heathcott, Joseph Michael, John Raley III, Robert Raley, William Raley, and Wesley Raley. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Fuzzy Friends Rescue and the Junior League of Waco Endowment Fund, two causes that meant the world to Helen. The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.