Marilyn Emma Helleberg

The daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Walter Gaedecke, Marilyn was born on April 13, 1944, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She grew up in a close-knit, hard-working family that instilled in her the values of perseverance, humility, generosity, and love.

Marilyn graduated from Meadville Area Senior High School and Mount Mercy College in Pittsburgh, where she double-majored in English and Spanish. In addition to her studies, she became a passionate advocate for civil rights and equality. On March 7, 1965, she joined the Selma March for Freedom, courageously walking from Selma to Montgomery.

While at Mount Mercy, she met the love of her life, John Helleberg. They married shortly after graduation and began a devoted partnership built on mutual respect, teamwork, and laughter. Marilyn worked as a teacher of both English and Spanish, supporting the family while John completed his dentistry degree.

Their first son, John, was born in 1968. Soon after, the family moved to Germany, where John served as an Army dentist. They embraced their time abroad, traveling Europe with enthusiasm and welcoming their second son, Brian, in 1970. After returning to the United States, they lived in Watertown, NY, and then Buffalo, where John attended graduate school. Marilyn embraced her role as homemaker and provider, allowing John to focus on his studies.

In 1979, the family settled in Charlottesville, Virginia, where they built lifelong friendships and operated a successful endodontic practice until retiring in 2014. In 2000, John and Marilyn purchased and lovingly renovated a waterfront cottage in Weems, Virginia. They cherished every moment at the “Rivah” and also enjoyed winters in Naples, Florida, building new friendships along the way.

Marilyn was a woman of boundless energy, creativity, and joy. She was a gifted whistler, elegant dancer, tireless gardener, and accomplished cook. Her nurturing spirit flowed from the garden to the kitchen, where she created nourishing meals each evening. She and John were known for hosting warm, joyful gatherings with friends and neighbors filled with laughter and delicious food.

Marilyn’s generosity reached far beyond her home. She regularly prepared meals for friends, neighbors, and anyone in need. Even during her final years, while battling aggressive brain cancer, she continued to share tomato sauce, banana bread, applesauce, lasagna, soup—and of course, chocolate chip cookies.

At 55, Marilyn pursued a new passion: ballroom dancing. Her grace and discipline earned her national recognition through ribbons, trophies, scholarships, and championships. After undergoing a mastectomy in 2003, she returned to competition just three weeks later, exemplifying her lifelong resilience and strength.

Above all, Marilyn treasured her role as a mother and grandmother. She was ever-present in her children’s lives, from homework help to school lunches to sporting events. Becoming a grandmother brought her immeasurable joy, and she adored sleepovers with Sophie and Jack. Even when exhausted by cancer treatments, she found the energy to play dinosaurs on the floor with her youngest grandson, Artie.

Marilyn will be remembered for her strength, her generous heart, and the beauty she cultivated—in both her gardens and the lives she touched.

She is survived by her beloved husband of over fifty years, John Helleberg of Charlottesville; her sons, John Helleberg (Marcie Wily) of Hood River, Oregon, and Brian Helleberg of Charlottesville, Virginia; and her grandchildren, Sophie, Jack, and Artie. She is also survived by her brother, Walter Gaedecke, and was predeceased by her brother, Arthur Gaedecke, in 1965.

Visitation will be Friday May 30, 2025 at Teague Funeral Service from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. A Funeral Mass will be conducted a St. Thomas Aquinas Church on Saturday May 31, 2025 at 11AM with interment to follow at Monticello Memory Gardens.

In Lieu of Flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the UVA Cancer Center or a charity of your choice.