Mildred Elaine Helling

Mildred Elaine (Killion) Helling peacefully passed into the presence of her Savior on August 25, 2024 at her home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was 84.
Born December 13, 1939 in Albany, New York, Elaine was the second daughter of Paul E. and Mildred Eloise (Gile) Killion. She began taking piano lessons from her mother in elementary school. After graduating from Bethlehem Central School in 1958, she enrolled at Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. It was there she met the love of her life, Donald E. Helling.
After graduation, Don and Elaine were united in marriage on June 30, 1962 in Rochester. After teaching for two years at public schools in upstate New York, the couple moved to Baton Rouge to attend Louisiana State University, where they each received a Masters of Arts in Music.
The couple made their home in Chatham, NY, where they raised two children: Laurie and Steve. While Don taught music at Chatham Middle School, Elaine was a sought-after private piano instructor for nearly two decades, teaching hundreds of students. By the late 1980s, she was instructing 45 students each week.
A devoted follower of Christ, Elaine served as the organist and choir director at St. Peters Presbyterian Church. Later, she played the organ and piano at Clermont Bible Church. Additionally, Elaine taught Good News Clubs for Child Evangelism Fellowship for nearly 15 years, teaching hundreds of children about Christ's love.
Elaine loved to sing. She was a member of the Sweet Adelines Barbershop Chorus in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. For nearly a dozen years, she and Don sang in a barbershop quartet called the Cross State Connection. They performed in venues in New York and New England.
After retiring from teaching, Don and Elaine moved to Daytona Beach where they continued their love of music at three different churches. They formed a band, Talk of the Town, that was the official entertainment for the weekly community ballroom dance for 12 years. When Elaine began to suffer from Alzheimer's disease, they moved to Grand Rapids to be closer to their daughter, who helped care for her.
Elaine is survived by Don, her husband of 62 years; her daughter Laurel (John) Russell of Grand Rapids, Michigan; her son Steve Helling of Orlando, Florida. She also leaves behind 10 grandchildren (Ezechiel, David, Shaphan, Paul, Steven, Mia, Valine, Ezra, James and Nerlande) and 3 great-grandchildren. She also is survived by her younger sister, Marilyn Swigart of Riverside, California.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Mildred Killion, as well as her sister, Paula Jean Shultes.
Funeral services will be held at at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 7, 2024 at Byron Center Baptist Church in Byron Center, Michigan. It will be live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/@BCBC-Michigan. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Child Evangelism Fellowship of East Central Florida at https://www.cefeastcentralfl.com/.
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