Renny Hellickson, 53

Renny Orance Hellickson, 53, was born October 28, 1972, in Lewistown, Montana. His parents, Neil and Kathaleen, gave him an unusual name and he grew up to be an individual who lived up to its uniqueness. He joined siblings Deborah (Burl, of Kalispell) and Rory (Megan, of Las Vegas). 

His elementary school years were spent in Plains, where he was rarely seen without a baseball, basketball, or football in his hands. He spent hours dribbling a basketball, looking up to big brother Rory and the Plains Horseman team. He often reminisced about his years in Wild Horse Plains and the Horseman championship basketball team.

At the age of 12, he moved to Kalispell, to live with his sister and her husband, and soon became the beloved “Uncle Renny” to Kala and Keaton. He quickly became a leader among his peers, an honor roll student and a standout athlete. Though he was small in stature, he was big in heart and was a motivator of others on the court and the field.  He was fiercely competitive, and grateful to coaches Bob Raeth, Bill Epperly, Paul Dumas, Steve Wohl, Weldon Plympton, Dan Hodge, Julio Delgado and others for their guidance and mentorship.

College found him playing a semester of baseball in Denver before returning home to be a Grizzly, graduating from the University of Montana. During that time, he became a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity and had many fond memories of fraternity and university life, where “keg in the closet” was the mantra of the day. During college, he spent a semester traveling the world and broadening his horizons and making lifelong friends.

A pinnacle of Renny’s life was graduating from law school at Georgetown University, while simultaneously running the reelection campaign of Senator Conrad Burns. He truly loved his years in the political world and was well received during his time as a staffer, fundraiser, and strategist. He traveled his beloved Montana from end to end, sharing his passion for the Republican party, and cherished his connections from that period of life.

During another semester abroad in Spain, Renny met Sarah Daniel, and they were married from 2003 to 2010. Their son, Dashiell Asa Hellickson, now 20, was the light of Renny’s life and his proudest accomplishment.

Renny was blessed and burdened with a mind that would not stop and was genetically predisposed to issues of mental health and substance abuse. These demons cost him his marriage, his ability to practice law, and many relationships with family and friends. However, after several failed attempts at sobriety, with the help of then fiancé Mikasa McKnight, motivated by the love of his son and following the Alcoholics Anonymous program, he was finally able to maintain sobriety and was turning his life around when tragedy struck.

Due to complications from an infection, Renny required a surgery, which ultimately left him paralyzed. The medical debacle continued, yet Renny remained determined and was successfully navigating living independently, thanks to an angel neighbor, Debbie, and the help of many others, including Catie LaPointe. After another infection turned to sepsis, Renny said goodbye to this world on April 19. He fought hard to stay positive through it all, and his courage and determination were amazing. He just wanted a chance to walk again. He was planning to move home to Montana in the spring, but hospice room 406 as was a close as he was able to get. His son Dash and sister Debby were with him in his final days in Jacksonville, Florida, where he had been working as an insurance adjuster. His final words to his son were to “lead a good life,” which is an admirable goal for all of us.

He will be fondly remembered for his fun loving, kind and compassionate spirit, for his passion for politics, and for being one of a kind. Renny, you were loved and will always be remembered for your courage, resilience, and passion.

A celebration of life will be held on Friday, July 10, at 4 p.m. in the Linderman Gym. Attendees are encouraged to wear Flathead High School or University of Montana gear.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes contributions to a college fund for Dashiell in care of Debby French.