Helen Denise Brito, 63, died May 13, 2007, at her daughter’s home in North Powder.
Her funeral will be this weekend at Battleground, Wash.
Denise was born May 7, 1944, at West Frankford, Ill. She was the oldest of nine children born to Goldia Lavern and Helen Virginia Brown White. Her father was in the military and the family moved around as Denise was growing up. Her fondest memories were of living on the farm at Christopher, Ill.
She married Joseph Brito on Nov. 1, 1960, at Las Vegas, Nev. She had known Joseph Jr. most of her life, attending school and growing up with him.
The couple lived in Orange County and raised three children there. In 1993, she moved to Eastern Oregon to live at North Powder.
She was a very giving person, always concerned about everyone else above herself. Denise lived for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Throughout North Powder, she was known as “Grandma.” She loved baking treats for her family and extended family at North Powder.
She was preceded in death by her husband Joseph Brito Jr., who died in 1999.
Survivors include her three children, Marcia Maddox and her husband, Joseph, of North Powder, Lisa Stanford and her husband, Bernie, of Washougal, Wash., and Joseph Brito and his life partner, Dennis Endicott, of Baker City; six grandchildren, Joshua Maddox and his wife, Jenni, Tonya Hoopai, Nichole Maddox, Jeremy Maddox, Eric Stanford and Ashlea Stanford; and nine great-grandchildren, Mary Jane, Ty, Marshall, Maddox, Jaelyn, Sean, Shane, Sierra and Logan; siblings, Barney White, David White, Mark White, Gary White, Linda Comley, Deanna Rezutti, Kathy Hartmann and Chris White.
Arrangements were under the direction of Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, May 16, 2007
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor