Helen O Coombs

Helen O. Coombs

Mrs. Helen Onitha Grimes Coombs, age 93, of Atlanta, passed away on May 21, 2020 following a brief illness unrelated to the Coronavirus. She was laid to rest in a private crypt side service on Saturday, May 23, 2020 at Lincoln Cemetery in Atlanta.

Helen was born on March 23, 1927 to her late parents Mattie Mae and William Grimes, Sr.

The family moved from her birthplace of Newberry, South Carolina to Atlanta, Georgia when she was just eight years old. She would later attend the infamous Washington High School (the first public high school for African-Americans in the state of Georgia) with plans of becoming a nurse but she couldn’t stand the sight of blood. During her years in school, she had many friends, two of whom were the Coombs brothers, Wallace and Fletcher. Later, when Helen and Fletcher began dating, she would recount how he would twirl her around the dance floor many times. Their romance blossomed and on May 21, 1955 they were married at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Atlanta, where they remained active members. Their marriage would last 65 years to the same day that the Lord called Helen to her heavenly home.

Helen was a "Jill of all Trades" homemaker. She loved sewing and making clothes for her daughters during their elementary and high school years. She assembled and hung chandeliers and lamps, reupholstered chairs and sofas, prepared home-cooked meals every day for her family, and even took interest in gardening with collecting and repotting a wide variety of houseplants. Her favorite past-time was working jig-saw puzzles and working in the Big Print Find-A-Word Search books.

Helen will forever be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great- grandmother, and she will be truly missed by her family, friends, and relatives. She is survived by her husband, Fletcher Coombs, daughters Kei Breedlove and Toni Burns (Phillip), brother William Grimes (Idella), grandson John Fletcher Breedlove (Shanel), three great-grandchildren, beloved nieces, nephews, and life-long friends.

In lieu of flowers, send a donation to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, St. Angela’s Circle,

306 Peyton Road, S. W., Atlanta, Georgia 30311.

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