Helen Elden

Helen Elden, age 88, of Sylvania, Ohio passed away February 12, 2026, at Sunset Village in Sylvania. Helen was born in LaSalle, Michigan on January 20, 1938, to Helen (Adler) Smith and Vermont Smith.
Surviving are her children, Mark (Angel) Elden, Vicki (Robert) Beard, and John (Amanda Planisek) Elden, Jr.; 5 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren; and sister, Joyce Staelgraeve of Monroe, MI; ex-husband, John (Marjorie) Elden, Sr. and best friend, Judy Kopp. She is preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Jerry Smith of LaSalle, MI.
Helen was a founding member and driving force behind Phoenix Earth Food Co-op of Toledo. The Phoenix was the focus of her personal and professional passion for much of her adult life. The people who worked and shopped at the Phoenix were truly her people.