John "Todd" Helgeson Obituary (1951 - 2017)

John T. Helgeson, Todd to friends and loved ones, 66, of Bloomington, passed away at 11:11 p.m., Tuesday, July 25, 2017 at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington.A memorial service will be held at a later date. Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington is handling cremation arrangements.Todd was born January 17, 1951 in Madison, WI, the son of Arlan C. and Candace A. Stephenson Helgeson. He married Paula M. Khoury on September 9, 1979 in Columbia, S.C. She survives.He is also survived by two daughters, Kathleen (Jeff Gasikowski) Helgeson of Lombard and Maria Helgeson of Verona, WI; a sister, Fleur (John) Rilett of Ontario, Canada, and their children, John (Robin) Rilett, and Stephanie (Joshua Rubin) Rilett; and a brother, Eric (Linda) Helgeson of Normal.He was preceded in death by his parents.Todd graduated from Duke University in 1972 with a fine arts degree in French Literature. He was stationed in Thailand during the Vietnam War, serving in the US Army Military Police. He went on to a career as a Systems Analyst for Illinois State University for 33 years, retiring in 2007.Todd was an ardent Redbird basketball fan, holding season tickets and following the team to St. Louis each year for the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.He loved to spend time with his Labrador, Abbey, as well as his daughters dogs. Todds passion for literature was manifested in his comprehensive home library that features first editions of many novels and historical works. His loved ones came to expect witty literary text messages, which were always great for a laugh.His travels took him all over the world, most frequently to the southwestern United States. He was always planning the next trip - most recently a repeat visit to Europe, for which he was studying Italian. Whether the journey took him around the world or merely around the block, Todd always opted for the untraveled road.Todds family took inspiration from his incredible strength and unfailing courage throughout his life.