Posted August 12, 2024
We are remembering Chris Helmer, principal of Horizon Elementary School, who died Aug. 11 after a two-year battle with cancer.
He was born and raised in Plymouth, attended Parkview Elementary School and Riverview Middle School, and was a proud 1989 graduate of Plymouth High School.
Mr. Helmer began his teaching career as a special education teacher at 38th Street School in Milwaukee, then spent 15 years with the Howard-Suamico School District. He returned to Plymouth with his family in 2014 to take a position as a special education teacher at Fairview Elementary School.
In July 2023, he became Horizon principal, which he considered to be his dream job. “I am blessed with being able to join and lead Horizon Elementary staff and continue to expand my ability to help others within the Plymouth community,” he said at the time.
After his first colonoscopy in 2022 had indicated a suspicious tumor, scans and biopsies confirmed colorectal cancer. But the prognosis was positive, with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery for treatment. Then, one week after he was hired as Horizon principal, a second routine scan indicated a suspicious liver lesion. After many more scans and biopsies, doctors confirmed that the cancer had metastasized, and he began chemo again in September 2023. In May 2024, he received the devastating news that treatment options had been nearly exhausted.
“Throughout this process, he has remained dedicated to work and family, drawing purpose and joy each day,” his family noted in his Gift of Life profile. “We are honored and humbled how both our family and work family has supported us every step of the way. We have an incredible community, and this gift is another example of the generosity everyone has for each other.”
His family, which has many ties to the Plymouth School District, appreciates all of the support and prayers over the past two years. His wife, Tina, is a district school psychologist. His sons Brennan and Ryan attend Plymouth High School. His sister Tracy Kreisa works in the Horizon Library.
A memorial service will begin at noon Wednesday Aug. 21 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sheboygan Falls. The family will receive visitors from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday Aug. 20 and from 11 a.m. to noon Aug. 21 before the service, which will be livestreamed at www.wenigfh.com. Attendees are encouraged to wear a favorite Hawaiian shirt. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to be put towards a scholarship in his name.
Principal Helmer is a beneficiary of the 2024 Plymouth Gift of Life fundraiser, set for Aug. 23-26. His full profile and information on the numerous ways to participate are available on the Gift of Life website.
Horizon has two teams in the Gift of Life Walk beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday Aug. 24:
• Be the Sunshine (Horizon PATH families & friends)
• Helmer Strong (staff)
You can join either for $5 (select the appropriate team on the second page of registration). Everyone is encouraged to wear school apparel, blue and yellow, or a Gift of Life T-shirt.
Learn more:
• Read the obituary for Chris Helmer.
Horizon Principal Chris Helmer
