HELEN D. HADLEY NIELSEN
March 27, 1927 - April 21, 2022
Helen Deane Waltemeyer, daughter of Edward Mace Waltemeyer and Violet Caroline Harris Waltemeyer, was born March 27, 1927, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Helen grew up in Salt Lake and graduated from high school in 1944, while WWII was still ongoing.
After graduation, Helen worked at Hill Air Force Base in Utah pickling B-24’s in a large airplane hangar. While working at Hill Air Force Base, Helen met her future husband, Everett Milton Hadley. Helen and Everett were married in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 27, 1945. World War II ended in 1945, and Helen and Everett moved to Riverside, California. There, they raised three children: David, Carol, and Derryl.
In 1955, Helen launched her career in interior design. She sewed custom draperies and took interior design courses at the University of California in Riverside. In 1963, Helen opened up her own successful business, Helen Hadley Interiors in Arlington on Magnolia Avenue.
Helen strongly believed in community service. Her love for the City of Riverside inspired her to take classes at UCR in city planning. In the early 1970’s, the Riverside City Council appointed Helen to the City Planning Commission, where she served for seven years. Helen was the first woman to be appointed to the planning commission in fifty years. The one project that Helen was particularly proud of was her efforts to help preserve the orange groves along Victoria Avenue. She served as a member of the Victoria Citizens Committee.
In 1981, Helen served as the President of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. In 1984, Helen saw a need for shared senior housing. She helped organize a Shared Housing Development Committee and after incorporation of Share, Inc., Helen served as the President of the Board of Directors. Helen served as the Director of Share, Inc. until 1987.
Helen and Everett divorced in 1984. In 1987, Helen married William Raymond Nielsen from Ogden, Utah. Prior to Helen moving to Ogden, then Riverside City Mayor Brown, on June 24, 1987, honored Helen with a plaque commending her for her years of “devoted community service” to the City of Riverside.
After retiring and moving to Ogden, Utah, Helen and her husband, Ray, enjoyed many years of traveling both in the United States and abroad. Ray passed away in March, 2008, and Helen moved back to Southern California. She lived the remaining years of her life in Oceanside, California where she loved gardening, painting with water-colors, and making jewelry for her friends. After an extended illness, Helen passed away peacefully on April 21, 2022, at the age of 95.
Helen is survived by her three children: Dr. David M. Hadley, Carol L. Hadley Reinhard, and Derryl L. Hadley. Her four grandchildren include: Jennifer Reinhard Gulizia, Dr. Michael Bryant Hadley, Katherine Hadley Cobb, and Travis J. Reinhard. Six great grandchildren include: Olivia Gulizia, Skylar and Rowan Hadley-Fine, William Bryant Cobb, and Nora and Luke Reinhard.
Helen found joy and happiness in serving the Riverside Community. She once wrote, “Make it important, as your own life is blessed, to give back to your community and others with less. Know that your life is more fulfilled when you act out of kindness and concern.”