CALVIN HELSEY

Calvin Helsley, 75, of Republic passed away March 30, 2023. Helsley was born
in Hartville, in 1948. He attended Mansfield High School and then graduated
Southwest Baptist University with a BA in instrumental music. He was the band director
and speech and debate coach at Licking High School for 27 years.
After retiring, he worked with the speech and debate teams and band ensembles at Ava, Hartville and
Mansfield high schools. Helsley had a lifelong love of gardening and hybridized several varieties of Japanese iris. He was the president of the North American Lily Society for more than a decade and edited the Lily
Society Bulletin.
Helsley was preceded in death by his mother, Jeanne Coday Helsley Rippee of Mansfield; father AJ Helsley, of Hartville; and his step-father Donald Rippee of Mansfield.
Helsley is survived by his sister, Reeda Rippee of Republic. Services will be announced at a later date but donations in his honor may be made to the American Parkinson’s Disease Association.