Dale Helms

Dale was born in Donalsonville, Georgia on December 18, 1947. He was a graduate of Miller County High School in Colquitt, Georgia in 1965. Following graduation, he immediately enlisted in the United States Army and was stationed overseas in Korea during the Vietnam War, earning the rank of Sergeant before receiving an honorable discharge in 1968.

On June 30, 1968, he married Kaye Grimsley, his high school sweetheart. Dale and Kaye had known each other since the first grade. They lived in Albany, Georgia and Tallahassee, Florida, before moving to Cairo in 2003. Dale worked for over 35 years as a service manager in the automotive industry. He loved to golf and fish and spend time with his family and friends. He was a faithful and active member of the First Methodist Church of Cairo, where he served as Treasurer and usher, and also participated in the Methodist Men’s Ministry, for which he helped organize monthly dinners.

Dale is survived by his two sons, Dale Helms, Jr., Oviedo, Florida, and Jonathan Helms, DeLand, Florida; his daughters-in-law, Krista Colasacco Helms and Annie Richards Helms; his grandchildren, Allison Helms, Rebecca (Becca) Helms, Benjamin (Ben) Helms, Elisabeth (Lib) Helms, and Gabriel (Gabe) Helms; his brother, Graton Helms, Eastman, Georgia; and his sisters, Phyllis Helms Reagan, Bainbridge, Georgia, and Gail Helms Howard, Havana, Florida.

Dale was preceded in death by his wife, Kaye Grimsley Helms, parents, Howard Cecil Helms and Audrey Kelly Helms, brother, Lamar Helms, and sister, Fran Helms Probert.

Memorial services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Friday, August 29, 2025, at Cairo First Methodist Church, Cairo, Georgia. Rev. Sam Vernon will officiate. The family will receive friends immediately following the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made in Dale’s memory to the Cairo First Methodist Church, 318 South Broad Street, Cairo, GA, 39828.