John Walter Helquist

John Walter Helquist
I was born on December 3, 1942 in Moab, Utah to John Oluf and Beatrice Bailey Helquist. The hospital where I was born was in Moab, Utah. Doctor Walters was the physician that delivered the babies. My middle name Walter was named after the physician.
I was the seventh of eight children in the Helquist household. My siblings are: Bernice Perkins (Carl) both deceased; Veloy Hawkins (Phil) both deceased; Maurice Helquist (JoAnn Bleak) both deceased; Ora Bayles (Donald) both deceased; twin sisters, Norma Madden (Jim, who is deceased; Carma Barb (Louis); and Lily Mae Rowley (Dudley, who is deceased).
I grew up in Blanding, enjoying all there was to enjoy and prosper as a child growing up. If I wasn't at a sporting activity that I loved and participated in all during my school years I could be found on my parents' farm helping with the hay, grain, cows, and the things we needed to do to survive. My dad, John, thought there was no evil in work, and I didn't know the difference. If I wasn't helping my dad or playing sports, I was on the mountain playing, hunting, and trying to avoid too many dangerous (stupid) things with my good friends Melvin Wright and Ray Palmer. My mode of transportation was a 1946 Willys jeep purchased with the $600 I received from the insurance company after the Scout accident when I was 12 years old.
At that time I finally escaped most of the farm work by going to Dixie Jr. College and on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to Florida. I was called by President David O. McKay. I honestly believe I had baled more hay than any individual in San Juan County.
I have always been an active member of the church and served in many callings and positions. After my mission to Florida. I was accepted into Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah. I don't yet know why. It could be that they were short of students that year and would take about anyone. I completed my Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Economics in 1968. Still not knowing what I wanted to do, but knowing it wasn't going to be baling hay, I interviewed with several Aerospace firms in Southern California receiving offers to come to work. I did not like Orange County, California so I took a trip to Phoenix, Arizona interviewing anyone who would talk with me. Motorola Semiconductors Inc. in Phoenix offered me a job in Supply Chain Management located in Phoenix, so I moved down to Mesa and went to work in September 1968. It was in Mesa where I met and married Gae Tanner. She had a daughter, Shari, whom I adopted. Later we adopted Brian John.
My thirty-year career with Motorola was very satisfying to me. Motorola had manufacturing facilities in Mexico, Europe and the Asia Pacific, which includes Korea, Hong Kong and Malaysia and I traveled to these locations several times. I was able to take Gae with me to both Europe and the Asia Pacific for 3 weeks each. It was very satisfying to her and she really enjoyed it.
Gae suddenly passed away in January 2011. We would have been married just short of forty years and had been working as temple ordinance workers in the Mesa, Arizona temple at the time of her passing. I completed my temple calling in Mesa, Arizona.
Shortly after the passing of Gae, I moved to Blanding Utah. In 2011 I started a life in my hometown. I married Jeroldene Bailey on June 30, 2011, who survives me.
We enjoyed the mountains, hunting, fishing, ATVing, and exploring the beautiful country of San Juan County. I loved being in my hometown of Blanding, again.
The family expresses their gratitude to Doctor Zeb Crofts with Blue Mountain Hospital, San Juan Clinic and Rocky Mountain Hospice staff and Doctor Val Jones for the love, kindness, care and support we have received. Thank you all for your prayers and kindness at this difficult time in our lives. A graveside service will be at the Blanding Cemetery on January 12, 2026 at
11:00 am