Patrick Helm

Patrick “Pat” O’Conner Helm, age 76, of Gainesville, FL, passed into glory peacefully on 28 July 2025, surrounded by his loving family.

Born on 15 June 1949 at Fort Campbell, KY to the late Floyd and Aida Helm, Pat grew up as an Army “brat” and relished the experience of seeing the world at such a young age. He attended college at the University of Florida, earning a BS in Advertising in August of 1971 and commissioning as an Infantry officer in the United States Army. It was at UF that Pat would meet the love of his life, Cheryl, and they were married on 27 August 1971. He never missed an opportunity to tell her each day that he loved her, and everywhere they went they were holding hands together.

Following 4-1/2 years of honorable military service in Germany and Stateside, Pat returned to UF and earned his Juris Doctor in June of 1978. He practiced law in the state of Florida until his retirement in 2016, most notably as a partner in the firm of McCarty, Helm, Keeter, and O’Connor, and as a respected mediator. He was an active member of Kiwanis, and a faithful member of the First United Methodist Church of Gainesville.

Pat is survived by his wife Cheryl, daughter and son-in-law Robin and Jeremy Brandon, son and daughter-in-law Steven and Christina Helm, and five grandchildren: Victoria, Jordan, Ryan, Matthew, and Nathan. His loved ones will remember him as a devoted husband, loving father, and faithful friend. He was a lifelong Gator fan, lover of classic rock and roll, and always gave the best hugs.

A memorial service will be held at First United Methodist Church of Gainesville at 1:00PM on the 16th of August 2025. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the American Cancer Society at https://donate.cancer.org/ or to First United Methodist Church of Gainesville at https://fumcgnv.org/give-online.