Edward "Ed" Boyd Helvey

Ed was born in Yakima, Washington, on June 25th, 1937, and passed away peacefully of natural causes at home surrounded by family on October 4th, 2023, at the age of 86. Ed moved to the Seattle area where he met and married his High School sweetheart, Carol Louise Hennum, in 1956. Shortly after, Ed and Carol purchased their first home in Ballard and had three children: Peggy (Ted) Bunstine, Kim (Mark) Bostrom, and Ralph Helvey.

Ed and his brother Ron started fishing and hunting as young children, and they became avid outdoorsmen as adults. Ed and Carol moved to Onalaska, Washington, to fulfill their dream of living in the country, where the land is plentiful, and hunting and fishing opportunities were “right down the road.”

Ed had a fantastic work ethic; he started working as a teenager and continued to do so until he retired in December 1999 at 62 years old. His jobs included the Steel Mill, Nordby Supply, Marine Distributor Inc. (MDI), SportCo, Englund Marine, and a few others. During Ed’s employment he had the opportunity to travel; these travels brought him to beautiful Craig, Alaska. Alaska quickly became one of Ed’s favorite destinations for fishing, and during his time there, he made lifelong friends who have become family.

Ed loved to take time and teach his passion for hunting and fishing to all his grandkids, great-grandkids, nieces, nephews, and any friends interested in learning about his love for the outdoors.

Ed was infamous for his “Hotcakes” whether it was a night’s stay at their house in Onalaska or their property in Eastern Washington, Ed would, without a doubt, serve you his famous breakfast served with hotcakes (pancakes) with or without blueberries and a side of bacon or sausage.

Ed always believed that family comes first; he believed in being a good citizen and helper to anyone in need. Additionally, he thought that rules were put into place for a reason and were meant to be followed (most of the time ha!). Ed was very generous to family and friends, always giving his neighbors a day’s worth of fish he caught or giving canned smoked salmon to anyone who lent a helping hand. Multiple generations of family and friends will miss Ed’s fun, loving, caring, and joking personality.

Ed is survived by his wife, Carol; his children, Peggy, Kim, and Ralph; his son-in-law’s, Ted and Mark; his grandchildren, Tim, Kevin, Carrie, Sarah, Becky, and Brandon. Additionally, Ed had multiple great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews who will miss him dearly.

A celebration of life for Ed will be held at a later date. However, flowers and cards are welcome.

The sun has set on Ed’s final fishing trip.