Richard Samuels Helmer

My father worked hard to support his family and to see his sons established as strong, independent adults. His blue collar struggles sometimes made it hard for him to pursue his independent interests, but they were surprisingly broad. Despite a weak educational background, he read constantly in challenging subjects such as history, archaeology and religion. He traveled widely, learned Italian in the army and studied Russian in adult evening classes. He could draw and paint with oils, and took up wood carving in his later years. To those who did not know him well he was an iceberg, with most of his talents hidden below the surface. But family and close friends knew him to be a surprisingly well-rounded man. Dad got as much as he could out of his time on earth, and passed peacefully among his loving family. All of us should aspire to such a life well-lived.