Helen Louise Porter Philbrick died at her Duxbury home on Dec. 1 at the age of 101.  With her late husband, the Reverend John Philbrick, she ministered to Episcopal congregations in Massachusetts and Missouri, including the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Duxbury. 

Mrs. Philbrick was born in Fall River to Ethel and Franklin Porter.  She spent her early years in Bristol Ferry, R.I.,  Middleton and Danvers.  Mrs. Philbrick was a graduate of Wheaton College, class of 1932.  After graduation, she worked in her father’s silversmith shop.  She recently donated a collection of the silver that she and her father created to the Yale University Art Gallery.  Porter silver is also in the collections of the Peabody-Essex and other museums.  She worked briefly in New Haven, where her brother Edward had become a high school teacher, and then entered the Boston School of Occupational Therapy.  She graduated as an occupational therapist in 1936. Mrs. Philbrick met John Philbrick at Episcopal youth conferences while she was in high school. The couple were married soon after Rev. Philbrick was ordained in 1937. 

During their time in Duxbury, the Philbricks became practitioners of Biodynamic gardening, a system of organic gardening.   Over the years, Rev. and Mrs. Philbrick collaborated on numerous books about organic gardening, including “The Bug Book” and “Companion Plants and How to Use Them.” They also co-authored “Powder Point Priest Keeps Pigs.” Mrs. Philbrick was active in the Rural and Historical Society and the Women’s Guild of Saint John the Evangelist in Duxbury.

At Roanridge in Missouri, they spent 12 years training ministers for rural ministries.  In 1972, after serving parishes in Groveland, Weymouth, Duxbury, Ashfield, and Wilkinsonville, they retired to Faith Homestead in Duxbury, which became a conference center for people associated with the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association, of which Rev. Philbrick became president.   They erected a building for workshops; participated in the Second Whole Earth Exposition; became active with the Plymouth County Wildlands Trust (now The Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts); and tended ancient apple trees.

After her husband died, Mrs. Philbrick gave Faith Homestead to The Wildlands Trust, reserving the right to live there.  For many years, she demonstrated and taught weaving, chair-caning and basket-weaving at the Daniel Webster Sanctuary of the Massachusetts Audubon Society in Marshfield, the Soule Homestead in Middleboro, the Duxbury Senior Center, and at her Duxbury home.  She published her memoirs, “Journeys with a Real Jack in the Pulpit” in 2005.

Mrs. Philbrick leaves her long-time friend and principal caregiver Timothy Burdick; her cousin Pat Michaud of Scituate; and many friends, relations, and caregivers. 

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17, at Saint John the Evangelist Church, 410 Washington St., Duxbury.  An Act of Consecration of Man for Helen Philbrick was performed on Saturday, Dec. 10, at The Christian Community in Brookline Village.

Contributions in her memory may be made to the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association, P. O. Box 944, East Troy, WI 53120-0944; Saint John the Evangelist Church, 410 Washington Street, Duxbury, MA 02332; or The Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts, P. O. Box 2282, Duxbury, MA 02331-2282.