George William Helms passed away Dec. 24, 2012, in Coeur d’Alene. He was born on Aug. 1, 1931, in Dexter, N.M., and lived in the area until age 14 when he moved with his family to California where he attended high school, college and university.

He served two years in the Air National Guard and two years in the Army National Guard most of which were spent on active duty in Korea, where he earned among other medals, a Bronze Star. On Nov. 19, 1955, he married Sally Jo Wright in Big Bear Lake, Calif., and for the next 23 years he worked through various positions in the corporate field in California, eventually running his own management consulting firm.

After moving to Lake Tahoe, Calif., in 1976, he became involved in real estate sales becoming a broker and owning several offices. In 1993, he and Sally moved to the Bayview-Athol area in North Idaho, where they enjoyed a more country life and where he still maintained a small real estate office in his home until 2009. Over the years, he enjoyed teaching both industrial relations and real estate classes in college and university settings and also mentoring others in these fields.

His interests include writing, boating, fishing, working with his hands and anything he would find to do out in the woods on his tractor. He was much loved by friends and family and his kind and generous nature and sense of humor will be missed by many.

He is survived by his wife, Sally; daughter Lisa Smith and grandsons, Zachary and Jacob, and granddaughter Hannah of Benicia, Calif.; son and daughter-in-law Richard and Elaine Helms, and granddaughter Nicole of Canyon County, Calif.; son and daughter-in-law James and Peggy Helms of Riverside, Calif.; and granddaughter Angela of Irvine, Calif.; sister and brother-in-law Martha and James Adams of Santa Barbara, Calif.; and brother Paul Westover of Riverside.

A private family memorial will be held in Benicia with interment in Vallejo, Calif. Arrangements provided by English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene.