Rudolf C. Helenius

Rudolf Charles Helenius, passed away peacefully on Sunday February 1st. He was 81 years old. Son to Oiva and Bertha Helenius, Rudy was raised in Leominster MA, where he lived and was educated.

He worked for Sears Automotive as a Senior Technician for over 25 years. He then worked as a Supervisor at Bayer Pharmaceutical and later retired. In addition he was a proud assistant Deputy for the State of Massachusetts and a paramedic. Through his life he took pride in learning and mastering new skills. He knew everything about cars and restoring them, tried his hand as a business owner of Rudy's Sharpening Service and sent numerous entrepreneurial ideas to many companies in fields ranging from toys to industry In his personal life he was a dedicated husband and father.

A gentle giant often compared to Clint Eastwood his quiet nature, commanding presence and All-American rugged good looks made people take notice. He took great pride in his family passing his love of hiking and nature to Bonnie, his aptitude for technology to David and sense of adventure and entrepreneurialism to Barbara.

A husband of nearly 60 years he and his wife Sandy raised their family together with his firm hand and her compassionate heart. They enjoyed their retirement with a love of visiting family, discovering vineyards and tasting rooms near and far, cruising to places like Alaska and Bermuda ,always with family and loved ones. Frequenting their favorite restaurants and exploring New England was a weekly activity. They had their favorite servers who treated and referred to them as family, which they did in return. Hiking mountains and trails was a favorite activity. Mt Monadnock was a common weekend hike with many wondrous memories of vacations in The White Mountains. The Grand Canyon was by far his favorite place, always recounting with fondness the tales of his trips. White water rafting, coin shooting and the CB radio were hobbies and activities he often engaged in. His love of Wheel of Fortune, because "everybody wins" was a testament to his love of learning combined with his compassion for people, in that he prioritized fairness and respected intelligence.

His life was a living example of family values. He was the strong quiet backbone of a family that he raised with exceptional values which taught fairness, understanding, respect for humanity, the value of a hard earned dollar and prioritized the importance of family. He will be dearly missed, still his family appreciates that his heart has always belonged to Sandy and there is great comfort in the knowledge that they are now reunited.

He is survived by his children; Barbara (Helenius) Lampugnale, David Helenius, Bonnie (Helenius) Menard, Randolph Mitchell, Suzanne Ellis, son-in-law Pasquale Lampugnale, daughter-in-law Dawn Helenius, son-in-law Mike Menard, former daughter-in-law Cindy Helenius (Hansen). Grandchildren; Brittany, Bethany, Grace, Gabriela, Faith, and Peyton, Eric and Alex, Tristen and Hunter. He is predeceased by his wife Sandra, parents Oiva and Bertha Helenius, sister Arlene Brassard and brother Douglas Helenius.

A service will be held in the spring as a celebration of life. Details to be shared in time.

In lieu of flowers the family prefers donations in his memory be made to Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 8th Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 1000