Edward Hellenbrecht
New London — Edward Paul “Ed” Hellenbrecht, beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend, died Feb. 12, 2024, at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London. Our funny, beloved husband, father, friend, sailor and engineer, leaves family, friends and colleagues saddened by his passing and the loss of his good-natured fun. Ed died after a 7-year battle with liver cancer.
Friends and family will remember Ed for his gregarious nature, joyful storytelling, sailing prowess, planning ability and the wonderful gatherings he hosted with his wife, Renée Beaulieu. Ed loved New London, and gave of his time, most recently as treasurer for the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival.
Ed, known as Paul to his New York family and friends, was born and raised in Riverdale, The Bronx, New York. Upon graduation in 1959, from Cardinal Hayes High School, where he excelled in academics and music, Ed attended the Coast Guard Academy from 1959 to 1962, when he was honorably discharged. Ed maintained lifelong friendships with his classmates.
Throughout his life, Ed sailed every chance he could, usually with his wife, Renée, and children, Rhona, Michael and Renée. Ed brought Rhona, his eldest, Frostbiting at the Thames Yacht Club. Renée, the kids, and friends Peter Hewes, Sam Russell, and Drew Staniar crewed the family’s sailboat, “Hellion.” Hellion was a regular competitor in Off Soundings races in the 1970s through the 1990s. They belonged to the Thames River Yacht Club and the Baldwin Yacht Club. Hellion’s talented and fun-loving crew often bested the competition in races. The boat’s signal flags and trophies were among Ed’s most cherished mementos.
Ed was always willing to grab his toolkit and help family and friends, whether on the water or in the home. Ed was a tremendous storyteller. With his varied travels and work experiences, he had an anecdote for any circumstance, often hilarious. Ed loved to meet new people and never forgot a face. He was a detailed planner, leaving nothing to chance. Ed had a spreadsheet for everything, down to the last minute or penny.
Professionally, Ed worked as an engineer at Electric Boat and as a sail designer at VanZant Sails. When he remarried, he worked as a manufacturing engineer and manager for Lancome, Cheeseborough Ponds and Kroeger’s Stores. His work took the family away from New London for 20 years, but the couple retired to their beloved home.
Ed was born Jan. 3, 1942. He was survived by his wife of 44 years, Renée Beaulieu, who died two days later of pancreatic cancer. Ed is also survived by his son Michael Hellenbrecht of Ossining, N.Y.; daughter Renée Hellenbrecht and son-in-law Mark Donohue of Cambridge, Mass.; his brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Mary Ann Hellenbrecht of Queens, N.Y.; and his in-laws, Donald and Dorothy Beaulieu of Old Saybrook, Irene and Keith Kobryn of DeLand, Fla., Elaine and Tom Welch of Putnam, and James and Kris Beaulieu of Davis, Calif.
The family held a private memorial gathering for close family and friends, to be followed by a Celebration of Life and burial at sea this summer. In lieu of flowers, donations can be directed to the American Cancer Society in memory of Ed. Donations may be made at donate.cancer.org.