Our dear mom, grandma, wife, sister and daughter passed away on August 15th from complications of the Covid virus.

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Helen was born on June 29, 1961, in Lugansk, Ukraine. She was the daughter of Yevgeniy and Tamara Dolzenko. Helen was a natural born teacher and got her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She taught for almost 40 years.

In her early 20’s she swept a young man named Victor Bezruk off his feet and they got married shortly thereafter. A year later a baby was born whom they named Anton (Tony). Unfortunately, that marriage only lasted for a few years. A short while later Helen married Oleg Taranushchenko and they were blessed with a baby daughter whom they named Dasha.

Not long after, she found herself as a single mother raising 2 kids with the help of her parents.

After 9 years she decided to pursue her lifelong dream of finding a soulmate outside of Ukraine.

She had fallen in love with the English language in elementary school and had started studying it much to the surprise of her family and friends. She always felt her destiny was to come to the United States. In 1998 she placed her profile online which caught the eye of Steven Sargent who began corresponding with her. After visiting Helen in Ukraine a few times, he decided to bring the family to Utah. They were married on Helen’s birthday in 1999. She dearly loved her husband who was with her until her last moments. He was her biggest fan and supporter throughout their 22-year marriage.

Helen was an extremely talented and motivated individual. She was always willing to try a variety of new things. She was an accomplished seamstress, artist, ice skater, painter, actress just to name a few of her talents. As a teacher, she was always admired and loved by her students and co-workers. It was common for her to go the extra mile. Helen put her whole self into whatever activity she was involved in. She was very organized and never wasted a minute of her time.

For a number of years, she organized the talent shows at Silver Hills Elementary where she worked for 18 years. She took special interest in each child and coached them to improve their performances. She will be greatly missed by students, parents and faculty.

Helen was blessed with 4 darling grandchildren who were the light of her life, and she spent every spare minute enriching their minds and making sure that they had everything they needed. She was a very selfless person and material things were not a priority for her. She would rather give of her means to those in need.

She was a beautiful woman inside and out, and always took pride in her appearance. Her energy and positive sprit were felt by those around her. Helen’s smile would light up the room and her impact will be felt by many for years to come.

She is survived by her husband Steven Sargent, son Tony (Christina) Sargent, daughter Dasha (Todd) Nordgren, her mother Tamara Dolzhenko and brother Igor (Alla) Dolzhenko, her grandchildren Alex and Paige Nordgren, Mila and Liam Sargent.

We would like to thank the ICU staff at Jordan Valley Hospital for their dedicated service in her behalf.

Services will be held at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 East Dimple Dell Rd (10600 S.), in Sandy on Saturday, August 21st at 2:00pm. A viewing will be held Friday evening, August 20th from 6:00 to 8:00pm and noon on Saturday, August 21st prior to the funeral services. Interment will be at Larkin Sunset Garden Cemetery. In respect for others during this time, the use of masks is encouraged.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity of your choice.

Services

Viewing

Friday, Aug. 20, 2021 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Larkin Sunset Gardens
1950 E. Dimple Dell Rd. (10600 S.)
Sandy, UT 84092

Funeral Service

Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Larkin Sunset Gardens
1950 E. Dimple Dell Rd. (10600 S.)
Sandy, UT 84092

Services Handled By

Larkin Sunset Gardens
1950 E 10600 S
Sandy, UT

Life Story Info

Post Date

Aug 17, 2021

Personal Info

Age

60
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Guestbook

My heart breaks to read of this! I was privileged to work with Helen at Silver Hills - I’m thankful for our chance meeting while shopping just a short while ago. Sending much love and prayers to her family!

Brenda D. Aug 18, 2021

Steve Sargent is one of my closest friends and thru him I met Helen, attended their wedding and became friends with her. She is a charismatic, bright, outgoing and a helpful individual. I know she had a caring instinct towards others and cheered for the under dog.

Ryan Riches , South Jordan, UT, US Aug 17, 2021

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