Helen Nazarian Pompeian passed away Monday, December 17, 2012 at St. Mary's Hospital at the age of 87.

She was born and raised in Pontiac, Michigan and worked as a probate registrar of the Juvenile Court of Oakland County, Michigan.   In 1945 she married Edward Pompeian. In 1972 she moved to Rochester, MN for her son to receive medical care at the Mayo Clinic, and a year later donated a kidney to him. She wrote about these tribulations in her book, Gifts of Love and Life. Helen dedicated her life to her family and was an advocate for bringing hope to other transplant patients and their families. For many years she worked as a secretary at her son's real estate firm and later worked as an Administrative Assistant at the Gift of Life Transplant House. She was a member of the Armenian Cultural Organization of Minnesota and Ascension Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Helen was a beautiful woman full of courage, strength, and compassion. She enjoyed entertaining and cooking Armenian food, sharing life stories and experiences, and spending time with her grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her father, mother, and sisters Alice, May, and Isabelle. She is survived by her brothers Paul Nazarian and Richard Kirk, sister Janet(Edward) Mardigian, daughter Sharon(Michael) Maraian, son Edward(Jayne) Pompeian, and five grandchildren Paul(Arous) Maraian, Edward, Aaron, Nicholas, and Adrienne Pompeian and one great-granddaughter Araxi Helen Maraian.

A private family memorial service is going to be held and memorials are requested to be sent to the Gift of Life Transplant House in Rochester, Minnesota. Online condolences are welcome at www.mackenfuneralhome.com .