John Desmond Helm, Jr., passed away unexpectedly on December 1, 2021, at the age of 66.

John is survived by his sister, Cathryn Celeste Helm (John Dickman), and his cousins, Paul Helm (Rosalie), Judy Henry, Shelley Lallande (Paul), Marcy Warnick (Jim), Jenna Christy (Peter Bookman), and Paige Christy. He is predeceased by his parents, John and Dorothy Helm.

John was born on June 12, 1955, in Washington, D.C. He graduated from Emerson High School, Washington, D.C., and attended classes at Towson University, Towson, Maryland. John worked for the C&P Telephone Company/Bell Atlantic, which later became Verizon. He became a "top craft" technician, troubleshooting issues for large organizations. Later in his career, he received a letter of commendation from the World Bank for resolving a complex telecommunications issue.

John retired in 2008, after a 30-year career with the telephone company. A resident of Hyattsville and Severn, Maryland, he eventually settled in Bowie, Maryland, along with his cat, Mister Tuxedo.

A music enthusiast, he embraced a broad spectrum of genres, from classical to The Doors to Esperanza Spalding. He was an accomplished drummer, playing with a local band in his 20's and early 30's. He also played piano for his own enjoyment. One of his favorite pieces was "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Mussorgsky.

John studied French in school and became fluent in reading and speaking by the time he graduated from high school. After retirement he studied Spanish at the local community college and at the time of his death, he was teaching himself ancient Greek. An avid reader, one of his favorite authors was James Joyce. In the early 1990's, he traveled to Dublin, Ireland to attend the Bloomsday celebration of the life and times of Joyce. He was also a fan of Marcel Proust, reading his work, Swann's Way, in the original French.

Following his retirement, John became an avid volunteer and activist. He first volunteered at his local library and participated in book club. In 2016, he began volunteering at Doctors Community Hospital in Lanham, Maryland, where he worked for several months. After the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida in 2017, John became passionate about the issue of gun violence. In June 2018, he got involved with Maryland Moms Demand Action (MDA), the nation's largest grassroots gun violence prevention organization. He attended over 70 events in person and virtually in Annapolis, Prince George's County, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. He served as a volunteer and Legislative Lead with Maryland MDA in Prince George's County.

Most recently, John took responsibility as the liaison for the MDA City Gun Violence Team, to the Family Survivor Network in a hard-hit section of Baltimore City. He created plans to revitalize a park and vacant lot in order to bring a peaceful and healing environmental design to the neighborhood. He worked to clear debris, deliver mulch, provide tools and expertise. John also coordinated in-person workdays to bring other MDA volunteers representing six different counties to work on the clearing and renovation of the grounds. His colleagues describe him as a man of action and integrity, who was dedicated to the community.

In 2019, John took up gardening for a hobby. He created an area of specific plantings in his yard to attract birds and butterflies. He also had deer, racoons and foxes that he enjoyed watching through a night vision camera. We joked that it was his "Helmitat" for wildlife.

John faced his challenges in life with an inner strength and courage which he channeled by generously giving his time and talents to his community.  

John's beloved cat, Tuxedo now resides with his sister, Celeste.

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