Kurt Robert Helm – December 26, 2024

Kurt Robert Helm, age 72, passed away on December 26, 2024. He was a resident of Falcon, CO for five years and was formerly a resident of Moorpark, CA. Kurt was born on September 25, 1952 to Bill and Dolores Helm in Long Beach, CA and grew up with his family in Orange, CA. Kurt married Jean on August 24, 1994 at the Hotel Bel Air in Bel Air, CA.

Early in his life, he enjoyed tormenting his sister. Subsequently he continued the family tormenting tradition with his niece, Wendy and nephew, Aaron. Eventually, Kurt honed his tormenting skills to apply them to his long-time profession of negotiating aerospace contracts, from which he retired. He was very knowledgeable in the field of Federal contracting and was respected by both his colleagues and negotiation counterparties for his intellect, fairness, and integrity.

Kurt lived a big life. Although quiet when you first met him, once you got to know Kurt, he was a treasured friend for life. Besides his wife, Kurt had many passions. First and foremost, he loved driving high performance cars, cooking good food, collecting fine watches and drinking worthy wine. For a brief time, Kurt was a professional chef, cooking at the Hotel Bel Air and the Ojai Valley Inn. Many friends and family enjoyed watching Kurt prepare a fine meal and then sitting down to take part in it. He was a great lover of animals, enjoyed concerts, the theater, and international travel. His trips were often centered around his love of food, wine, and Jean, and he enjoyed shopping in local markets around the world. His friends quickly became his family.

Kurt was devoted to lifelong learning. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he went on to earn his certification in International Business from UCLA, and his MBA in International Business as well as his post-MBA certification in Management and Organizational Behavior from California Lutheran University. Beyond that, Kurt continued to take classes in gardening, photography, and high-performance driving. Many friends and family enjoyed produce from his garden and his artistically composed photographs. The driving courses were just for him and perfectly hitting a corner’s apex brought him joy.

All of his passions were enhanced by sharing them with his many friends from all walks of life. Throughout his lifetime, Kurt had a wonderful sense of humor that he inherited from his mother, telling a good story or joke to anyone who would listen. He was a great and loyal friend who would do anything to help and had an uncanny sense of just what needed to be done, quietly stepping in and then deflecting the credit. He will be missed by his family and many friends.

Kurt is survived by his loving wife, Jean; his sister Kristen (David) Granich; his niece, Wendy (David) Bombard; his nephew, Aaron (Mari Hinojosa) Granich; his brothers-in-law, John (Jane) and Bill (Erin Neihouse) Neuenfeldt; nephews Ryan and Karl Neuenfeldt; and many beloved aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Dolores Helm.

No services are planned. Instead, Kurt requested that a very fine party be held in his memory. One party would not do, so several parties will be held at a later date.

Memorials in Kurt’s name may be made to the Orangewood Foundation, Orange, CA at in-memory-kh.causevox.com, or to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs, CO at https://store.cmzoo.org/donate.asp?_ga=2.235370310.63188083.1735672460-594962938.1618868164.