Charles R. Helms ’80

Chuck, died Nov. 2, 2025.

He was an extremely talented epee fencer for coach Stan Sieja’s Tiger squad, was named All-Ivy three times, as well as All-East and All-American once each. A Cottage Club member, he majored in comparative literature and focused on “Don Quixote.” A devout Catholic, he participated in Princeton’s Students for Conscientious Choice and C.S. Lewis Society.

After working in Alaska, he studied theology at the University of Dallas. In 1982, he married architect Rachel Elizabeth Landry.

Chuck earned a doctorate in divinity at Oxford, then studied law at the University of Texas, and wrote for the Texas Law Review. His longtime law partner was Paul Pesek. Chuck was president of the St. Thomas More Society (his local Catholic lawyers guild) and a member of the Catholic Bar Association. He later taught theology at the University of Dallas.

With co-author Bobby Zorn, he drafted a book about French war hero Daniel Nevot, his high school fencing instructor, Strong at the Broken Places. Expect publication in 2028.

During 42 years together, Chuck and Rachel raised five children: Nathaniel, John Henry, James, Rebecca, and Peter. They had three grandchildren.