John Edmund Heltmach

John passed away on February 13, 2014. This beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend spent the last months of his life battling cancer in the loving embrace of his family. Surviving John is the love of his life, his wife of 60 years, Lucy, his precious sister, Rita Treske, his daughters, Julie Heltmach Lacerte (Dennis Lacerte), Lorie Heltmach Whalen, Connie Heltmach Plumleigh (Martin Plumleigh), six grandchildren: Larry, Jeffrey and Denny Lacerte and John, Julie and Caroline Plumleigh, and many other beloved nieces and nephews. Born and raised on the south side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, John graduated from St. Anthony Catholic Grade School in 1942 and graduated from Boys Technical High School in June 1946. After graduation, he proudly served his country by enlisting in the U.S. Army and did his infantry training at Camp Lee, Virginia. In October 1946, he was deployed to South Korea as part of the 7th Infantry Division, 19 Infantry Regiment, D Company. He was honorably discharged in December 1947 and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in April of 1949. In July, he was assigned to Radio Operator's School at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi and graduated from Radio School in April 1950. Upon graduation, he was assigned to a Communications Squadron for six months and deployed to Guam. In November 1950, John was transferred to Tokyo Control, after which he was transferred to 1955th Communications Squadron at Itazuke Air Base located in Fukuoka on the northwest corner of the island of Kyushu. In October 1952, he was transferred to Rockville Air Force Station in Rockville, Indiana and was honorably discharged in April 1955. After his departure from the military, he attended Indiana State University and Rose Polytechnic Institute, Terre Haute, Indiana. In 1957, he joined Betz Laboratories as a chemical sales engineer and resigned from Betz in September 1979. The family expresses its deepest gratitude to the doctors and oncology nurses at Swedish Hospital, as well as to the incredible staff at Denver Hospice. You are truly amazing people and John adored you all. Special acknowledgement is also extended to the staff and friends at Greenwood Athletic Club. The Club was John's home away from home and he loved his Greenwood Family so much. Funeral mass will be held on Thursday, February 20 at 10:00 a.m. at the Church of the Risen Christ, 3060 S. Monaco Parkway. Interment will follow at 12:15 p.m. at Fort Logan National Cemetery. Family and friends are invited to celebrate John's life at a reception from 3 – 6 p.m., details to be provided later. Memorial donations in his honor are appreciated to the American Diabetes Association, 2460 W. 26th Avenue, #500C, Denver, CO 80211, or online at: https://donations.diabetes.org/site/Donation2. Please share your memories of John and condolences with his family by signing the guestbook below.