Glynn William Helfer lived until August 2, 2019; age 73. Beloved husband to Pamela (nee Hockey). Loving father of Daren (Mary) Helfer, Misty Helfer, Andrea (Tim) Yothers, and Lynsey (Jason) Moore. Proud grandfather of Justin (Emily), Calloway, Adalyn, Brady, and Suvina. Loving son of Lula Irene (nee Looper) and Walton Judkins. Proud brother of Lloyd (Lee), Jerry (Wanda), Sandra (Sammy) Samu, Lee (Carol), and Norman (Sandy).
Glynn was born and raised in Detroit by his mom and his stepdad. He spent his childhood diving for glasses and quarters in the Detroit River, and his teen years working to help his family. He was drafted into the Air Force during the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged.
Glynn’s family was his pride and joy. He married the love of his life, Pamela, on July 12, 1980, and they built a life in Michigan. He and Pam loved raising a big family full of love, kids, dogs, and friends. They always looked forward to taking trips together, from summers spent camping at Lake Chemung, to seeking out the most interesting and fun sites in each state they visited. Glynn made a special point to ensure each trip included great food, good wine, and a hot tub. He loved supporting good causes, cheering for the Tigers, and having people over to show his hospitality to, especially if it meant a chance to share a drink and a laugh.
He loved his kids. Some favorite memories include skipping school to go skiing, and watching the joy on participants' faces during Special Olympics games with his son, Daren. Misty adored her dad; they loved listening to Christmas music, doing puzzles, playing games, and going to Target for a “cuppachino.” He shared his love of swimming, riding bikes together, and building campfires with his daughter, Andrea. She got her public speaking skills, love of list making, spreadsheets, and math games from him. His daughter, Lynsey, loved being his rollercoaster buddy, ever since he introduced her to thrills at an early age with airplane rides on his feet. She followed in his footsteps as an educator. Their conversations about teaching; discussing its ups and downs, and sharing the excitement of small successes, made both of their days and furthered their special relationship as her dad and mentor. He shared special routines with each of them, for dinner time (best & worst), bedtime (super-special-wonderful-terrific-and-I-love-you), hand-written notes, Daddy-Daughter dances, and more. The special bonding time always included one of his signature hugs, and left us feeling so special. He was a great listener and sounding board for all our big decisions, and made us feel proud to be someone that he was proud of.
He looked forward to spending time with his grandkids, with whom he shared his love of food and, of course, his Donald Duck voice impression. Justin especially remembers learning about the greats - Abbott and Costello and Simon and Garfunkel. Calloway loved doing puzzles and signing with Grandpa, and Adalyn loved surprising Opa will beautiful pictures. And while he didn’t get as much of a chance in this life as he wanted, he will continue to teach Brady, Suvina, and his other grandkids how to live, love, laugh, and be a better person through the stories he leaves behind.
Glynn believed in people. He followed Jesus’ example of caring for his neighbors, by dedicating his time, love, and energy to leaving a mark on their lives. Countless of his children’s friends remember the strong influence that he had on them with his caring, positive presence, reassuring words, friendly laugh and practical advice. He never missed an opportunity to show generosity to others, by including as equals those who might have otherwise been overlooked. “Mr. H” made everyone feel like they mattered.
He was a very proud alumnus of Wayne State University, receiving his Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Specialist degrees in education and supporting their performing arts program for many years. His life’s work was dedicated to teaching others, with his most prized years spent at Warren Woods as a teacher and administrator, and as principal of Lutz School. Glynn’s care for students extended beyond the classroom to their lives, and was especially evidenced by building the award-winning School-to-Work program at Lutz School into a model program that many schools have adopted. His legacy will live on in the thousands of students’, families’, and teachers’ lives that he touched. He really was the best person to work with and for. His smile lit up the halls even on the bad days.
Throughout Glynn’s life he encountered much adversity and when God saw how strong he was, He gave him more hurdles to overcome. Glynn was positive and optimistic about a cure for the Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD) that diseased his brain and debilitated his body until the end. He survived many years with grace, humor, stubbornness, and independence, through a disease that would have broken the spirit of most others. He made an impact on his caregivers and brightened their days, even when he wasn’t able to speak anymore. He especially enjoyed gaining a 4th “daughter” in spending time with his caregiver, Laura.
His, truly, was a life well lived. He will be dearly missed and remembered.
Visitation Thurs. Aug. 8 from 2-8 pm and Fri. Aug. 9 from 10 am until time of service at 11 am at Resurrection Funeral Home, 40800 Hayes Rd, Clinton Township. Donations, in lieu of flowers, can be given in memory of Glynn to Special Olympics of Michigan at www.somi.org. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.resurrectionfuneralhome.com
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.9.5