Helen Bryant also known as "Helen May" was born June 9th, 1950, to Milton Thomas Bryant and Victoria Peyton Bryant. She was the 6th child of 13 children. Helen was known as the outspoken and responsible child. She was named after her aunt on her mother's side.

Helen went to Booker T. Elementary, then attended middle and high school at Central High. While attending Central High School she was a vibrant student who loved to dance and was a majorette for a very short period. Helen dropped out of school to stay home and help her mother when her health began to decline. Helen would help her mom with the younger siblings, cleaning, cooking, and going to the sorority house where her mother worked to cook beans, rice, neck bones, and cornbread. Her father known as M.T. was a fisherman. He would come home once a quarter. Due to her parents dying young, her family stepped in to help care for the younger children. Some of the older siblings helped with aunts and uncles.

Helen was very close to her siblings, they partied, danced, and went out. She also helped her family with their kids, her nieces and nephews because she didn't have children yet. She would go back and forth from Houston to Galveston working towards attaining a career in cosmetology. She later decided she wanted to work in healthcare. She worked at Methodist doing patient transportation.

In 1973, she married Alfred James Pines Jr. in Galveston Texas, moved to Houston Texas in the 80's became a housewife, and had three children Victoria Andrea Pines, Alfred James Pines III, and Jerry James Pines. In Houston, Helen was known as a southern bell always feeding the neighborhood kids and anyone who came to visit. Her signature dishes included fried chicken, pinto beans, and rice with cornbread. She always made sure everyone had a plate even if they didn't ask for it. In Helen’s younger years, she used to go outside with her children and teach the neighborhood girls how to double dutch, hopscotch, and play jacks. As she got older, she stayed in the house playing cards, dominoes and loved listening to 70s, 80s, and 90's music on the radio. She met good people and had great friends.

On September 16th, 2024, Helen passed away due to multiple health conditions on her late husband's birthday. She is preceded in death by her grandparents on both sides, her mother Victoria Payton, father; Milton Thomas Bryants, husband; Alfred James Pines, Jr., son; Jerry James Pines, sisters: Gertrude Frenchwood, Bernice Frenchwood, Jean Frenchwood, and Beverly Bryant, brothers: Dawn French Wood, Roy Frenchwood, Tommy Frenchwood, Milton Thomas Bryant, Daryl Bryant, Earl Bryant Kenneth Bryant.

Helen is survived by her daughter Victoria Pines, Alfred Pines the III, and stepdaughter Bridget Netherly. Her sister Rita Bryant and half-brother Carl Bryant. Her Granddaughter Jo'Maya Woolridge. Her grandsons: Gerren Haywood Jr. Nathaniel Johnson, Josiah Woolridge, and step grandson William Garrett II. And a host of nieces and nephews. Others left to cherish her memories are Ms. Lewis, Barbara Newman, Robert Ogletree, Mechernette Redic, Judy Cleary, The Blake Family, The Benjamin Family, The Holcomb Family and a host of friends and family from Kingsgate Village.

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