Richard Conrad “Dick” Helmer

Richard Conrad “Dick” Helmer, age 80, of Richfield, passed away October 29, 2024.

Survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Sandy Helmer; daughter, Shawna (Andrew) Kaelberer, son, Aaron (Angie) Helmer; grandsons, Tyson & Mason Kaelberer and Ryan & Nathan Helmer; brother, Raymond (Susie) Helmer. Preceded in death by his parents, Harvey and Anne Helmer; and brother, Tommy Helmer.

Dick was born and raised in Hermantown, MN. He joined the Air Force in 1961 after graduating high school and was stationed down in Puerto Rico. That’s where his passion for firefighting was lit. After being honorably discharged in 1965, he moved back to MN. He was a firefighter at Fort Snelling from 1967 - 1969. In 1969, he then took the job at the Edina Fire Dept and retired as a Lieutenant after 30 years of service. He was a very proud member of the Fire family.

Dick and Sandy always had a dream of having a cabin up north. This came true in 1994 in Outing, MN. He remodeled/built a beautiful cabin on the lake where they spent a lot of time. He often called it his “Little Piece of Heaven”. We will always feel his presence when we are there. The family joke was that he would wake up at 8:00am to run to town (1.5 miles away) to get ice and would come back at 5:00pm with a bag of water because he had to make so many stops and visit everyone on the way home. He was always there whenever anyone had a project to be done, take in a dock/boat, rake your yard, whatever. He was the one person you could always count on to be there anytime, anywhere, with no questions asked.

Dick loved anything outdoors, especially hunting and fishing. He took many trips over the years chasing deer, muskies, grouse, you name it. His cabin walls are proof of that with many deer and fish mounts.

Dick had a handshake that could crush your fingers and a bear hug you had to brace yourself for. He never met a stranger and always made you feel like the most important person in the world. We will miss his sly smile, his legendary ‘Helmer headshake’, his sweet lil wink, his eye roll, his infectious laugh and the many D Helmer sayings he had. He always had the radio volume in the truck just loud enough that you couldn’t have a conversation, he was a planner, he was loyal, he was a straight shooter and a go-getter. He was such a proud dad and Grandpa to his 4 grandsons and loved his sweet ‘San’ so much. Their love for each other was so evident to anyone in their presence.

Dick was so special to so many people. We always told him the D Helmer ripple was very large, even more so than his family knows. We will miss him immensely and for the rest of our lives.