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William Churchill (Bill) Helmrich, age 90, died January 14, 2016 at Reflections of Carolina Forest. He was born August 10, 1925 in Long Beach, CA to the late Bessie and Hazen S. Helmrich. He was a US Navy veteran of World War II, Korean and Vietnam Wars. Bill received his schooling in Detroit, MI. He served in the cruiser USS Brooklyn in the Mediterranean in 1944. His ship participated in the southern France invasion on August 15, 1944. Bill served in several ships, among them the Cable Layer and the USS Neptune, in which he was the leading radioman. The mission of the Neptune was to lay antisub cable along the East Coast in order to detect Russian subs during the Cold War. His last ship was the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk off Vietnam in 1965-1966. Bill retired with 23 years of active service as a chief radioman. In 1969 he went to work in civil service, Department of Defense with the Navy in communications for another 18 years. In 1987 the secretary of the Navy presented Bill with a 41 year federal service pin. In the fall of 1987 Bill and his wife moved to Caropines in Surfside Beach, SC. They became Red Cross volunteers. Marilyn became a bag lady and Bill used a laptop to register donators. Bill also volunteered to work with the youth Saturday mornings at Surfside Bowling Lanes. He joined the FRA Grand Strand Branch 254 in which he served as secretary for 18 years and as president twice. He was also a member of the VFW Post 10420 and American Legion. Bill loved reading, dancing, sports, and was an avid bowler. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 41 years, Marilyn;, two brothers, Robert and Richard; and a sister, Jacqueline. He is survived by a sister, Janice of Idaho Falls, ID; sister-in-law, Sarah of Scottsdale, AR; several nieces and nephews; and two grand nieces, Sanna and Lily Fraleigh of Ann Arbor, MI. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Belin Memorial United Methodist Church, 4182 Hwy 17 Business, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576, Grand Strand Humane Society, 3241 10th Ave. Ext., Myrtle Beach, SC 29577, or South Strand Helping Hands, PO Box 15968, Surfside Beach, SC 29587. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 PM Saturday, January 23, 2016 at Belin Memorial United Methodist Church. Inurnment will follow in Belin Church Cemetery. Sign an online guestbook at www.goldfinchfuneralhome.com. Goldfinch Funeral Home, Beach Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.

Tributes

William Helmrich

August 10, 1925 - January 14, 2016