`He was always first in line to help out'
Family and town mourn Crossfield councillor who died of diabetes
A two-term councillor for the Town of Crossfield who died at the age of 32 is being remembered as a warm, caring individual with a deep dedication to his hometown.
Devon Helfrich died Jan. 9 of complications from diabetes. His parents, Cal and Liz Helfrich, described him as an advocate for the underdog who always put others first.
“If there was somebody who needed help, he was always first in line to help them out,” his mother said.
“He was always there. We've had people writing things in cards and there's all these little things, like
when he was just a little kid, one of his friends had her appendix out and he was the first one over there with a box of Smarties for her. He was always, always selflessly helping people.”
Helfrich was first elected to town council in Crossfield, 45 kilometres north of Calgary, in a 2015 byelection at age 26, and won re-election in a 2017 general election. He served as deputy mayor for part of his time in office.
His dedication was evident in a pair of dress shoes with wornout soles his parents found while cleaning out his condo, worn during door-to-door campaigning in the town.
In campaign material provided by his parents, Helfrich described himself as a “third-generation, born and raised Crossfieldian” who loved “our community and the citizens whom I am lucky enough to consider family.”
As chief administrative officer for the Town of Crossfield, Ken Bosman worked alongside Helfrich for his entire time on council.
Bosman described Helfrich as a person who was serious about his role in helping his community, citing his efforts to stabilize the town's budgets as one of his biggest accomplishments.
“I think it's just who he was. His family has deep roots in Crossfield,” Bosman said.
“His parents instilled in him a sense of community pride, a bit of a sense of obligation, that those who have had some good fortune in life have an obligation to give back to their community, and I don't think it was any more complicated than that. He loved Crossfield and he wanted to be part of moving it forward.”
The community has come together to support the family, Liz Helfrich said.
“We could never have imagined being supported the way we have been. Our town and our people and our tribe has kept us from falling to the ground and splatting,” she said. “Their arms and their wings are there, keeping us upright.”
Helfrich's loss will have deep effects within Crossfield, a town of about 3,600 that experienced considerable growth during his five years on council, Bosman said.
He added the best measure of Helfrich's importance to the community came in the most recent election.
“In the general election in 2017, there were a total of 11 candidates running, and Devon got more votes than anyone else by a very substantial margin,” Bosman said. “I think the judgment of his community is better than any individual judgment I could offer.”
Beyond politics, Helfrich's parents said he was fond of the outdoors and camping, having grown up dirt-biking and spending summers on Kalamalka Lake in British Columbia. He played minor hockey and continued skating in beer leagues, and was a devout fan of the San Jose Sharks, particularly star playmaker Joe Thornton.
“He was fascinated with the San Jose Sharks since he was a kid, big-time,” his father said. “He was big into Joe Thornton and had all kinds of collectibles for him from his time in the NHL.”
“Every morning, he would look through the paper before school and literally comb through the paper for all the baseball and hockey stats,” Liz added.