Farewell Mr Helliwell

I write this article today after saying goodbye to our dear friend and work colleague Mr Rob Helliwell.  Rob passed away on Saturday 23^rd of May, after a long battle with his health.  While we as a school community will miss him terribly, we know that he is now at peace, without pain and in the arms of his Heavenly Father.

I first met Rob in the very early years of building our school.  Rob came to us offering to help where he could and he freely contributed to the life of the college for almost 20 years.  Rob had his fair share of health battles along the way, and it was a privilege to support him and his wife Karen through these challenging times. Rob taught both in the Primary and Secondary schools, and as his health became more challenging, he transitioned to our property team in the role of Workplace Health and Safety officer. No matter where Rob found himself in the school, he served diligently and with an ever present smile.

Although most have now graduated, many students will remember Mr Helliwell as a kind, fatherly figure with a dry, quick wit.  He was creative, resourceful and knew the value of maintaining a good relationship with his students.  His colleagues adored him, and he understood our college culture, and contributed to it faithfully, year after year.

We will miss seeing Rob around our site, as we mourn the loss of one of our own.  Our hearts go out to the Helliwell family during this sad time, and we pray they find some peace in the knowledge that Rob impacted many lives through the Ministry of Parklands Christian College, and will be dearly missed.