Timothy John Hellstrom
Timothy John Hellstrom
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Timothy Hellstrom Obituary
Tim was born in Chicago in 1947 to the late Richard and Myrtle Hellstrom. Raised on the West Side, he attended Austin High School and spent 38 years working for the Northwestern/Union Pacific Railroad. He was drafted during the Vietnam War and remained deeply patriotic throughout his life.
In 1979, Tim married the love of his life, Loretta. Together they shared a loving marriage that lasted 47 years. He was a devoted husband, father, and Papa. Tim and Loretta raised two daughters, Sarah and Emma, and later found great joy in becoming grandparents. Tim and Loretta welcomed six grandchildren and were deeply involved in their lives, rarely missing a game, performance, or any chance to cheer them on.
He cherished time with family and friends. He loved fishing trips to Canada and Lake Erie, spending time at their cottage in Wisconsin, traveling with Loretta to England and Ireland to visit family, and vacations in Mexico.
Tim was known for his sense of humor, a tough exterior, and a big heart. He volunteered at the American Legion for over twenty years and was always ready to help others. He was loyal, devoted to his family, a proud Democrat, and believed deeply in equity for all.
The world is better because Tim was in it, and he will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
He is survived by his wife, Loretta (Halloran) Hellstrom; his daughters Sarah Hellstrom (Imran Ali) and Emma Smith (Michael); his grandchildren Mia and Danny Ali, Colin, Liam, Brady, and Norah Smith; his siblings Carol, Gerry, Ricky, Rhonda, and Jean; and his dear friends Buddy and Al. He was a cherished uncle, brother, neighbor, and friend to many.
Visitation will be held at Ahlgrim Funeral Home, 567 S Spring Rd, Elmhurst, IL 60126 on Thursday, January 15, 2026, from 4 pm - 8 pm. A short program with veteran honors begins at 4:15 pm. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Elmhurst American Legion, 310 W Butterfield Rd, Elmhurst, IL 60126 on Friday, January 16, 2026, at noon.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, https://PanCAN (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network).org/, or the Cure Alzheimer's Fund, https://curealz.org/.
For more information, (630) 834-3515 or www.ElmhurstFH.com.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Timothy John Hellstrom, please visit our floral store.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
4 Entries
Ray Scaccia
January 12, 2026
My heart goes out to your family I worked with Timmy and Buddy a while on the railroad. We had many good times together He was trully one of the best rails I ever had the pleasure of working with Nothing like seeing him smile and hear his laugh. Loved you dearly Timmy I know god has a special place in his caboose for you .God bless you and your family
Matt Merolla
January 10, 2026
Tim & Mom - Rest In Peace
@ Heather & Matt Merolla´s Wedding
May 14, 2011
Matt Merolla (Richmond Merollas)
January 10, 2026
Condolences from the Richmond branch of the Merolla family including my mom (Tim´s sister Carol) and dad (Al). I also send my own sympathy and for my wife (Heather) and daughter (Olivia), who is just beginning to learn about life and death. We have many fond memories of trips to visit the Chicago extended family - trips that included great food like hot dogs and deep dish pizza and not so great food like pickled herring. We also had fun experiences like Chicago Cubs baseball and Phantom of the Opera. As children, my brothers and I would hold our fingers out the car window during the freezing Chicago winter and see who could handle the frostbite! Uncle Tim was a fixture in those memories, always joking and laughing. On multiple occasions since those days many years ago, he also came to visit including my wedding which will be 15 years in May. He will be dearly missed and fondly remembered.
Candy Arriaga
January 9, 2026
Mr Tim as we called him was not only our neighbor but also a good friend, he was always there when we needed something, he was a grandfather figure to my boys and father figure to me, always kind and welcoming, when Tristan was in preschool he used to tell me "I wish Mr Tim was my grandpa" and Liam loved his "secret" lemonade recipe, for Halloween, Gabriel always said "let´s go to Mr Tim´s first, he has full size candy bars and he lets us have more than one" he was so generous! His jokes never disappointed, he had a great sense of humor, always made me laugh, I will miss that so much, our long talks about life and about things we both disliked, I will cherish those for the rest of my life. Our dog Daisy oh my gosh did she love him! He was her favorite person, during the summer when she was outside with me gardening, she will disappear, and I knew where she was, at Mr Tim´s why? because he had treats for her, he carried them in his pockets 24/7, he was so sweet, my heart aches for her because I know she will deeply miss him, they were best friends. Loretta, Emma and Sarah, you are in our thoughts and prayers, we are so very sorry for your loss, Mr Tim was so, so loved by our family, our block will never be the same without him, his memory will live in our hearts forever, it was truly an honor to have had him in our lives. May he rest in eternal peace.
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567 South Spring Road, Elmhurst, IL 60126
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