Helen Ridge DeVoe (nee Franke) peacefully passed away at her home in Shelbyville on Friday May 22, 2026. Born in Seymour on July 30, 1937 to parents Raymond Franke and Ava Franke (nee Ridge), she was the youngest of their 3 children and was affectionately known as Pud.

After graduating from Seymour’s Shields High School as valedictorian of her class in 1955, she studied aeronautical engineering at Purdue University, where she became a member of Delta Gamma sorority. She left Purdue in 1957 to marry Byron Lee DeVoe, in Seymour, and started a family that would eventually grow to seven children. The family moved first to Bloomington, then to Shelbyville in 1964, when they opened D & B Cabinet Sales; a small business still in operation 62 years later, D & B is now run by son Michael, while Helen continued to do the books.

While raising her family in the 1970s - she “joked” that her husband never changed a diaper - Wednesday became chili night as she’d make dinner before driving to Indianapolis to take evening classes at IUPUI. She earned her bachelor's degree in social studies and became a regular substitute teacher at Shelbyville High School, taking over state Sen. Tom Hession’s government class when he was away at the Statehouse. She valued education and happily sent every one of her children off to college and encouraged her grandchildren to earn a degree themselves.

She made the most of volunteer opportunities that presented themselves as her family life evolved, from raising money for the March of Dimes, to teaching kids to blow bubbles at Porter Pool, to coaching softball where her only strategy was to ensure every kid got to play. She manned the gift shop at Major Hospital, ushered at the Shelby County Playhouse, and was a veritable fixture at the courthouse, working the polls year after year, often with knitting in her lap.

Helen loved to knit. And crochet. Over the years she gifted hundreds of baby blankets and afghans and Christmas stockings to friends and family. She made hats and scarves and gloves and sweaters and was often the first to know about the birth of kids, then grandkids, as requests for additional stockings rolled in. She had recently started passing down her knowledge to her granddaughter Ashlee, and they both took great pride in Ashlee’s first masterpiece, a crocheted blanket.

Helen was a skilled bridge player. She loved to play and she and Byron were a formidable pair over the course of their 50 year marriage. Time spent with friends and extended family, aka The Outlaws, was filled with good natured, marathon bridge sessions above all else. As in all areas of her life, she had endless patience, which was needed as she taught some of her kids and a son in law how to play. On many visits, her first word when you walked in the door was ‘deal’. It was an accomplishment to set her. She would occasionally go ahead and set one of her kids, with a little smile on her face, but she’d more often than not intentionally let her less-skilled opponents make their bids, mostly to keep them from getting discouraged.

Helen also loved to travel. Having caught the travel bug in 1983 on their first trip to Europe to visit a daughter studying in Paris, she and Byron at one point resorted to picking a trip out of a hat when they couldn’t agree where to go next. Byron’s retirement and daughters in the travel industry - providing free, first-class standby flights - led to adventures all over the world. The standby aspect added “excitement” and an occasional memorable turn of events. Once a daughter waved goodbye as Helen and Byron went through passport control at London’s Gatwick airport, only to find them waiting at her car when they’d gotten bumped from their desired flight. Helen took it all in stride and enjoyed every minute. Two of her most recent trips included Zion National Park in 2024 and a Mississippi river boat cruise in August of 2025.

Helen still drove herself to church every Sunday, kept up with her bookclubs, visited friends, and enjoyed socializing at the senior center. She generally accepted being chauffeured to doctor and hair appointments, especially if the interstate or roundabouts were between her home and her destination. She remembered anniversaries and birthdays, and always included a balloon with her card. And she continued to say every day was the best day of her life. She always made dessert first and advised her kids, that wherever they were, to leave while you’re still having fun, which she managed to pull off herself. Family who passed before Helen include husband Byron, daughter Constance (Connie) Jeanne, granddaughter Patricia, sister Mary Jeanne Smith and brother Joseph Franke.

Family mourning her loss include sons Michael DeVoe (Rebecca) of Shelbyville and Philip DeVoe (Jill) of Indianapolis, daughters Elaine Jevtic of Shelbyville, Jennifer DeVoe, of Greenville, SC, Susan DeVoe (Doug Dunco) of Indianapolis, and Linda DeVoe Cridge of Fishers; nephews Arthur Smith, Steve Franke, and Kurt Franke,and niece Diane Franke Mortenson. Helen leaves behind 9 grandchildren, Ryan DeVoe, Ashlee DeVoe Garrett, Stefan Jevtic, Adriana Rottunda, Milena Jevtic, Nolan Cridge, Marina Cridge, Carter DeVoe and Ava DeVoe, and 6 great grandchildren, Vera, Sylvie and Val Rottunda, Trigg and Boone Thomas, and Isla Jevtic.

Services will be held at Helen’s church of 60 years, First Baptist Church, 27 W. Broadway, Shelbyville, with visitation beginning at noon and a memorial service at 2pm, on Saturday, June 27th. A gathering will be held at the church following the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family would love to receive pictures of the stockings and baby blankets and afghans - and their recipients! - Helen so lovingly made over the years. Please send them to HelenMadeThisForMe@gmail.com. Donations may also be made to the First Baptist Church or a favorite charity.

Funeral Directors, Greg Parks, Sheila Parks, and Stuart Parks are honored to serve Helen’s family.

Online condolences may be shared at www.murphyparks.com.