Bernard “Bernie” Helwig
Feb. 9, 1948 - April 16, 2019 Resident of Milpitas
As a Santa Clara Valley resident all his life, he attended eight years of parochial school, graduating from Overfelt High School. Bernie entered the workforce as a paint specialist with his eldest brother, Ed Helwig, at K&H Finishing. His career ended at Home Depot where he was the best paint matching expert in the store.
Bernie’s childhood on a six-acre turkey ranch in Evergreen was the start of many of his hobbies. His love for fishing began as a child at small watering holes on the property and later grew to deep sea fishing in Alaska with him frequenting Quarry Lakes in Fremont for trout. He raced go-karts and motocross with his brothers. Bernie was a regular at racing tracks across the Bay Area, chasing sprint car races wherever he could find them. The Chili Bowl in Tulsa Oklahoma was his Superbowl. He taught us all about the thrill of drag racing at Sonoma Raceway and the smell of nitro in the morning. Grandpa Ben’s love of the SF Giants carried over to the family, especially Bernie which he commemorated in a shoulder tattoo celebrating their recent world series victories. His walking stick was a baseball bat, and he was always seen in black & orange. His turkey and prized rib recipe will be taken with him, leaving the family to experiment until they finally get it right.
He saw the country through his many camping road trips, going as east as South Dakota with his traveling companion, Sparky. He skied black diamonds until the age of 60, constantly seeking a thrill. His booming voice and quickwitted jokes will be missed at family dinners. His last days were spent planning his next trip to the drags, a house boating trip to Lake Shasta for Thanksgiving with the family, and biking the Hiawatha trail in Idaho this summer.
Bernie is pre-deceased by parents Ben & Emma Helwig, two older brothers Edwin & Jerry Helwig, and nephews Michael, Kenneth and Marty Helwig. He is survived by older sister Judi Barone, nieces Gina & Lynn Barone, nephews Christopher & Jeff Helwig, son Damian Helwig, daughter Sarah Helwig, grandchildren Xyla, Kendra, and Elijah Helwig. His ex-wife Cielo Petralia continues to watch over the family.
A memorial mass will be held at St. Elizabeth Church at 750 Sequoia Drive in Milpitas on May 18th at 10 a.m. with a gathering held until 2 p.m.