Dennis C. "Hawk" Helmig

August 15, 1948 - February 21, 2021

Dennis C. “Hawk” Helmig, 72, of Lima, passed away 10:45 a.m., Sun. Feb. 21, 2021, at his home surrounded by his family following a courageous battle with Lewy Body Dementia. He was born Aug. 15, 1948, in Lima, the son of Charles & B. Maxine (Wright) Helmig, who preceded him in death. On Dec. 19, 1972, he married Polly (Forton) Helmig, and she survives. Other survivors include, children, Gavin (Alisha) Helmig, Lima; Dr. Sara Helmig, Memphis, TN; Kara (Donovan Shuster) Helmig, Grand Forks, ND; grandchildren, Teagan Helmig, Lima; and Gavin Sargent, Minot, ND; siblings, Teresa DeCurtins, and Brent (Marsha) Helmig, both of Cincinnati, OH; Connie (Jeff) Partee, Painesville, OH; Carl (Dawn) Helmig, Lima; sister-in-law, Betsi (Pat) Hurd, Chesterfield, VA; brother-in-law, David (Sharon) Forton, Villa Hills, KY, several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his in-laws, Gordon & Rosemary Forton, his brother-in-law, Dennis DeCurtins, and a nephew, Jonathan Hurd. Denny was a 1966 graduate of Lima Central Catholic High School, and then attended the Ohio University, Athens, OH, where he was a member of the baseball team. He was a sports enthusiast supporting his alma mater, working with Lima youth sports and also enjoyed coaching his children in basketball and softball throughout their years. His participation in sports also included coaching the men’s basketball team at Northwestern Business College now known as UNOH. Hawk’s (No. 44) involvement and success in the softball field resulted in earning his induction into Ohio Softball Hall of Fame, the National Softball Hall of Fame, and the USSSA Hall of Fame. He was employed by Steele’s Sports, Worth Sporting Goods, and recently retired from Rawlings as a Regional Sales Manager. Hawk enjoyed following the Lima Central Catholic teams and especially watching his granddaughter play sports. He enjoyed playing golf, gambling, cheering on his teams, especially Notre Dame, the Cleveland Indians, and the Cleveland Browns. Hawk would travel to Kentucky, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus to follow his special friends and family participating in their sports events. His memberships included St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, the Shawnee Country Club, and the Knights of Columbus. A special thank you to St. Rita’s Hospice, and the many friends who helped and visited the past months. A celebration of Hawk’s life will be held 11-4:00 p.m., Saturday, March 27, 2021, at the St. Rose Catholic Church Parish Center. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Lima Central Catholic Athletic Dept. or St. Rita’s Hospice. Arrangements are under the care of the Eley Funeral Home & Crematory, Wapakoneta, where condolences may be expressed at www.eleyfuneralhomeandcrematory.com.