Helen Aguilar Sabo – beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother – passed away peacefully in her home in East Grand Rapids, Mich., on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025.
Born on March 5, 1929, in Pontiac, Mich., to Vicente and Esperanza Aguilar, Helen was the oldest of six siblings. She was raised in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood and graduated from Western High School in southwest Detroit. In 1948, Helen married the love of her life, Nick Sabo, Jr. Together they built a family with four adoring children and a loving home, first in Detroit and later settling in Walled Lake, Mich., where she worked as a teaching assistant at Walled Lake Elementary and he worked as a licensed elevator journeyman for Otis Elevator Co., The University of Michigan and Henry Ford Hospital. The couple would lovingly remain together until Nick passed away in November 1974.
Despite the heartbreaking loss of Nick to cancer at 45, Helen’s unwavering love for her family and remarkable resilience – in body, mind and soul – saw her through and served as a driving force throughout her life. In 1984, Helen embarked on the next chapter of her journey when she moved to Grand Rapids, where she devoted herself to her family, raising her youngest son and nurturing five grandchildren.
A truly creative woman with an artistic vision, Helen also experienced a professional renaissance after moving to West Michigan as a floral designer for D&W Fresh Market. For 10 years, she created and designed bouquets and decorative floral arrangements for customers at the grocery store’s Gaslight Village, Breton Village, Cascade and Caledonia locations.
In her spare time, Helen enjoyed cooking, drawing, reading and spending as much time as possible with her family. Throughout her long, rich and vibrant life, Helen left a lasting imprint on every person who was fortunate to know her and experience the warmth of her light. She will always be with us, and we will always be with her.
Helen is survived by her children: Linda (Sabo) Raubolt (and her husband, Dr. Richard Raubolt) of East Grand Rapids, Kristie (Sabo) Idziak (and her husband, Chester Idziak) of Jackson, David Sabo (and his wife, Brenda Vargo) of Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Edward Sabo (and his wife Lisa Cook Sabo) of Lake Pepin, Wis.; grandchildren: Garrett Raubolt, Jordan and Elizabeth Raubolt, Kasha Idziak, Sara Idziak, Nicky Sabo, Ella Sabo and Paden Sabo; great-grandchildren: Aidan, Charlotte, Cameron, Stevie and Anna; sister Maria Aguilar Torres; and brother Antonio Aguilar.
At Helen’s request, a private celebration of life ceremony is planned for the immediate family. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in Helen’s name to the Detroit Historical Society at detroithistorical.org/support/donate-now.