Stanley Grant Helmsdorff, 94, of Duxbury, died Sunday, Dec. 12 after a long illness. He was the widower of Barbara Sutton Helmsdorff, his wife of 40 years, who died July 2, 2010.
He was born April 24, 1916, the son of Carl and Dagney Helmsdorff. He attended Boston Public Schools and was a graduate of the Mechanic Arts High School in Boston. He lived for many years in Needham and Westwood before retiring to East Falmouth. He moved to Duxbury in 2005.
He was a veteran of World War II, serving with the 57th Bomb Wing of the 12th Air Force in the African, Mediterranean and European Theaters. A first lieutenant and a B-25 pilot, he served in the 379th Bombing Squadron of the 310 Bomber Group. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions during an attack on a railroad bridge Aug. 6, 1944 at Avignon, France.
He was a member of Local 13 of the Boston Typographical Union and worked many years as a compositor at the Herald Traveler and the Boston Herald. He retired in 1980.
He was an avid boater, fisherman and sunbather. He loved to travel with his wife, visiting the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe, in addition to their extended stays at Marco Island in Florida.
He was preceded in death by his two sons, Bruce and Brian Helmsdorff and his first wife, Pearl Peterson Helmsdorff. He leaves two step-daughters, Marianne Reinhalter of Duxbury and Patricia J. Casey of Dartmouth; their spouses and their five children.
A visiting hour will be held at the Richard Davis Funeral Home, 373 Court Street (Rt 3A), N. Plymouth, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 15, followed by a funeral Mass at Holy Family Church in Duxbury at 11 a.m. Burial is private.