Garrett Patton Helser

Our beloved son passed away peacefully in the presence of family and friends under the tender care of the staff at Portland Adventist Hospital, Portland, Oregon. For someone who came into this world with a couple of strikes against him, he made the most of his 33 years of life. Born in Portland, Oregon with a congenital condition, adrenal hyperplasia, he was fortunate to be properly diagnosed and beat the odds of being a SIDS baby. Growing up with this condition didn’t slow him up much. Garrett and his friends entered the Cub Scouts program as Tiger Scouts at age 6. While growing up, Garrett excelled at swimming camping, and computers. These skills served him well when he transitioned into the Boy Scout program. In 1998, eleven years later, at age 17, he earned the Scout’s highest award, the rank of Eagle Scout. He was very proud of this accomplishment. Garrett developed a lifelong love of music and the visual arts while a member of the Acappella Choir at Centennial High. He was an excellent communicator, on both a personal basis and in the business sector, who had the unusual ability to interact with adults as easily as his peers. He was outgoing and happy, a person who made friends everywhere he went. That happiness and loving personality were also evidenced by his deep love of children. Garrett continued to develop skills ion computers and technology as he completed double bachelor’s degrees in Transportation and Logistics from Portland State University. These were the basis for his one and only career, that of Manager, Technical Operations, at his family’s trucking firm: Helser Bros Transfer Co., where he will be greatly missed. Always available to someone in need, he will also be missed by the myriad of friends and co-workers who depended upon his skills to keep their computers humming along. Garrett is survived by his mother, Teresa D Helser; father, James R. Helser; brother, Grant B Helser; five aunts; four uncles; and twelve cousins. A celebration of life and reception will be held at the First Baptist Church of Gresham at 2pm Sunday December 7, 2014. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Garrett P. Helser Centennial High School Choir Scholarship Fund.