Donald Joseph Hellmann

Don Hellmann, a longtime official for the National Park Service in Washington, D.C., died on October 17, 2024, at age 71 in his hometown of Annandale, VA, following a lengthy battle with cancer. Don was born and raised in Northern Kentucky where he graduated from Covington Latin School and Thomas More College. Following a short tenure in teaching at St. Thomas Junior High School, Don moved to the Washington, D.C., area and began a career on Capitol Hill working initially for Senator Walter D. Huddleston (D-KY) from 1977-1985 and then for Rep Tony Coelho (D-CA) from 1985-1988. During that period Don continued his academic pursuits by earning a Master of Arts in Politics from Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and a law degree from the University of Baltimore. Don subsequently joined The Wilderness Society’s staff in 1988 where he served as Legislative Counsel and then as Vice President for Conservation for the Society. He joined the National Park Service in 1994 and was responsible for the development, coordination, and implementation of its legislative affairs program. He later served as Assistant Director for Legislative and Congressional Affairs for the National Park Service. In his duties with the Park Service Don was instrumental in authoring and supporting legislation to create and protect many of our national parks. In 2017, Don retired following a 40-year career in Washington, D.C., that included 22 years with the National Park Service. Thereafter, he served as Vice Chair of The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that advocates for solutions to issues facing our national parks. Outside of work, Don naturally loved visiting the national parks with friends and colleagues primarily to enjoy their beauty and uniqueness, but also to share many “behind the scenes” stories regarding Congressional legislation and work related to each visited park. Don also had a keen interest in presidential history and politics, as well as a life-long love of the arts that started with his piano lessons as a teenager. He enjoyed playing tennis, attending Washington Nationals baseball games, and spending holidays with family, where he could catch up with the latest adventures of his siblings, nieces, and nephews. He’s survived by his mother, Mary Terese Hellmann, four brothers, two sisters, and fourteen nieces and nephews. Donations in Don’s honor may be made to The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (https://protectnps.org/donate/) and Covington Latin School for the Richard and Mary T. Hellmann Family Scholarship Fund (https://covingtonlatin.org/alumni/make-a-gift/).