By Valerie Velikaya
vvelikay@jccc.edu
Dr. Terry Helmick passed away on Monday, Sept. 1 after serving at the college for 22 years. She was 60 years old.
Professor and Chair of the Speech and Debate Department, Dr. Helmick was also a member of the faculty senate and served as co-adviser for Phi Theta Kappa.
In a video titled, “Why I Teach at JCCC,” Dr. Helmick said, “When I think about why I teach at [the college], there’s just really one answer for me: it’s the students. I can be having a bad day and I go into class and they make me laugh. They challenge me. I learn something everyday from them.”
Friends and colleagues describe Dr. Helmick as an insightful, passionate and committed person.
“With the death of Dr. Terry Helmick, [the college] has suffered a great loss. Dr. Helmick was a dedicated teacher and a valued colleague. And as a charter member of the faculty senate, she was [a] thoughtful and intelligent senator,” said Vincent Clark, professor and chair, history.
“Terry always seemed to treat both students and colleagues more like family members, about whom she cared deeply, than like ‘customers’ or ‘coworkers,’” said English professor Mark Browning. “Virtually everyone pictures her with a smile on her face, even during trying times. Her passion for learning and development, both for students and fellow faculty, will be sorely missed at JCCC.”
Dr. Helmick was an avid traveler and enjoyed the writings of David Whyte, Mary Oliver and William Stafford. She leaves behind two children and a lasting impression on the school.
Donations can be made in memory of Dr. Helmick to Lawrence Family Promise: P.O. Box 266 Lawrence, KS 66044 or lawrencefamilypromise.org/donate-now; established to JCCC Foundation: 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66210 (checks may be made out to JCCC Foundation) or http://www.jccc.edu/foundation/.