Barbara Ann (Hueser) Helmick

Barb Helmick, 83, of Sylvania, Ohio, passed away Friday, December 2nd, having made this world a more decent, joyous, and beautiful place. Born in Chicago in 1939, Barb was the daughter of Conrad and Helen Hueser, who had emigrated from Germany. After earning her degree in education from Loyola University Chicago, Barb pursued her passion for service as an elementary school teacher in the Chicago Public Schools. Gifted with an adventurous spirit, she would soon feel the pull of the beauty and majesty of the Rocky Mountains and move to Denver. Barb lived most of her adult life in Colorado and pursued her love of the outdoors through Nordic and Alpine skiing, snowshoeing, and photography. Over the following decades, she worked as a children's reading specialist, an executive assistant, and as a cost analyst for ARCO Oil and Gas, which took her to Alaska for extended project work. She pursued her passion for teaching children to read through her volunteerism until her 80th birthday. In 1975, she married the love of her life, James, and they recently celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary. Barb was beloved by Jim's three children, all of whom live in Northwest Ohio: Julie Vitale (husband Jim), Jeff Helmick (wife Karen), and Jennifer Small (husband Chuck). Her new family would grow, and so she is also survived by seven loving grandchildren: Sarah Long (husband Matt), Alison Weiss (husband Steve), Gabrielle Vitale (fiancé Clint Carpenter), Hannah, Jeff, and Mallory Small, and Joel Helmick, and three great-grandchildren: Michael, Grace, and Nicholas Long. Barb also had great love and affection for her late brother Jack Hueser and his surviving children: Steve, Andy, and Betsy. A Memorial Mass to celebrate Barb's life will be held Saturday, December 10, at Little Flower Church, 5522 Dorr Street, Toledo at 10:00 a.m. The family will begin greeting guests at 9:00 a.m. A lunch will follow shortly after the mass and private interment. Family extends their heartfelt gratitude to the caregivers at the Neuro ICU and Palliative Care team at Toledo Hospital, Ebeid Hospice, and a very special Nurse Chanel at Oakleaf Village. Donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association Northwest Ohio Chapter, SeaGate Food Bank, or Little Flower Parish in Barb's name. Please view and sign our online "guest registry" at CoyleFuneralHome.com

Tributes

Barbara Ann (Hueser) Helmick

October 8, 1939 - December 2, 2022