Helen Irene Thompson, age 81, of Bainbridge Island, died Feb. 6 in Portland, Ore., after a short battle with cancer.

She was born on Nov. 15, 1921, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

A widow since 1988, she moved to Bainbridge from Weiser, Idaho, in 1990. She resided in Winslow until this past December, when she moved to Portland to be near her family during her terminal illness.

She was an avid angler, a crack shot, and a “woman of the woods” long before it became either acceptable or trendy. She enjoyed as companions wild birds, which she seemed to attract in remarkable numbers and varities whether she was in a cabin in the forests of Idaho, or in her apartment in downtown Winslow.

She is survived by son Eric Lindstrom, of Portland; and three grandchildren — Erica Baker of Olympia, Aaron Lindstrom of Shoreline, and Ellen Lindstrom, Portland.

At her request, there will be no services. Memorial contributions can be made to the Island Wildlife Shelder or the local Audubon Society chapter.