Cover photo for Thomas “Tom” Ralph Helvig's Obituary
Thomas

Thomas “Tom” Ralph Helvig

Thomas “Tom” Ralph Helvig, passed away in Chandler, Arizona on May 31, 2023 at 62 years old. He died comfortably at the Lund Home Hospice Facility in the presence of his wife and daughter, and with the support and prayers of several loved ones after a short battle with Glioblastoma.

Tom was born on August 28, 1960 to Jerome “Jerry” Helvig and Margaret (Carr) Helvig Claugherty in St. Paul, Minnesota. He spent his childhood and early adult years in St. Paul before serving in the United States Air Force. After his time in the service, he returned to Minnesota and attended Globe College of Business where he received his associate degree.  He met his wife Carol (Goodwin) and they were married on May 6, 1994 in New Richmond, Wisconsin. They have two children, Conner Patrick (28) and Emma Jean (26).  Wisconsin was their home until 2002 when they moved to sunny Arizona, where he and his family spent the rest of his life.

While he brought joy to many across a variety of professional settings, Tom spent majority of his professional years working for the airlines in a variety of positions starting as a baggage handler, customer service representative and then finally the vacations dept. where he managed hotel inventory for American Airlines.   He consistently indicated he would like to be the “grumpy old man” of the office, however all those who worked with him knew that he was too kind to ever be deemed as grumpy, and his young heart left him far from old. He was fortunate to retire in January 2023.

Tom was a humble man whose pride came primarily from the accomplishments of his wife and kids. He loved cherishing the moments with his family and sharing the wonderful stories of his family’s achievements. He was known for always partaking in his weekly golf outings with his closest friends and grilling tasty dinners for his loved ones for any occasion, big or small. His quick-witted humor could spark life in the quietest of rooms, and his tender heart comforted many of those who grieved in his presence. While he loved traveling to see his family in the Midwest and was fortunate to explore many vacation destinations including Mexico, Jamaica, Switzerland, and Italy, Tom’s favorite place was right at home in his Arizona backyard where he could enjoy swimming in his pool and singing along to his favorite music, all with a cold Coors Light in hand.

Tom was preceded in death by his biological father, Jerry Helvig, and his stepfather, Patrick Claugherty, his brother, David Helvig, and his Grandparents Ralph and Martha Helvig. He is survived by his mother, Margaret, his Wife, Carol (Goodwin) Helvig, his children Conner (Brooke) and Emma Helvig, his siblings Margaret “Peggy” (Tom) Alspaugh, Paul (Stephanie) Claugherty, Sharon (Michael) Murphy and Kathy Claugherty, his aunts Margaret “Peggy” (Helvig) Richardson and Satail (Helvig) Tailin, and nephews, nieces and cousins.

Funeral services for Tom will be held at the Woodbury Lutheran Church in Woodbury, MN on Saturday, June 10, 2023 with visitation from 10-11 and service at 11am followed by a lunch at the church.  After lunch, for anyone that would like to partake, we will be going to the Tavern Grill to make a toast in honor of Tom and to share fun memories that we have.  We will also be having a Celebration of Life at the Helvig Home for AZ friends with the date to be announced.

In lieu of flowers donations to the GBM Foundation would be greatly appreciated to help find a cure for Glioblastoma:

https://www.gbmfoundation.com/donate

Condolences may be expressed at www.buelermortuary.com.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Thomas “Tom” Ralph Helvig, please visit our flower store.

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