For those of you who knew Chuck Helland, you knew that he loved everyone. There is nothing more that he loved than a good conversation with a friend and a shared smile. Pops knew he was loved and in turn we knew we were loved.
Pops and mom had moved to Juneau because mom’s health was fragile and the closest medical facility that could help her was in Juneau. When we lost mom in 2006, our sister Alora took pops home with her and Irene in Wrangell. After two years, they felt that pops was strong enough to get an apartment at senior housing.
Sis was pops unpaid caregiver. She quit her job and made sure he had his meals, clothes washed, apartment cleaned, grocery shopping done and mail checked.
In 2017, sis made a tough decision to move to Juneau. It was one of the toughest decisions she has ever had made because her and pops were so close. She set up people to visit him and check on him; she even paid people to make sure his needs were met.
His cancer came back and things went very fast. When I got the call at 8:24 p.m. I called him to let him know I was coming in on the first flight in the morning (as the doctor held the phone for him). He said he would wait until then, and he would be with mom. Pops was 82 when he died Dec. 6.
The hospital staff was so understanding; they had a nice recliner and a couch that pulled out to a bed for sis and I to sleep on. We talked about the things he taught us and reminisced about the good times. When he passed, Alora was on one side of pops and I on the other. We called my brother Fred and his children and granddaughter Tori Taylor and they came up to the hospital right away.
Pops brightened the lives of so many with his belly laugh, sense of humor and smile. We all miss him so and cherish all the loving memories we shared as a family.
My family was not prepared for the financial part that comes along with the funeral home and a memorial service. That is why I am reaching out, in hopes that you’ll show your support.
We are planning a modest ceremony at a later date in Wrangell.
There is a Chuck Helland Funeral fund account at First Bank of Alaska; or you can send donations directly to Ketchikan Mortuary, for Clarence “Chuck” Helland, PO Box 8181, Ketchikan, AK 99901; or there is a GoFundMe account.
Romona Wigg
2895 Mendenhall Loop Road, Space 68
Juneau, AK. 99801
Reader Comments(0)