Dorothy Helm

June 6, 1947 - June 20, 2025

On June 20, 2025, Dorothy Jeanne Helm passed away in her Palmer, Alaska home at 78 years of age. Dot, as she preferred to be called, was born June 6, 1947 in Camden, NJ to parents Laura Lillagore and Walter Helm. She was predeceased by her parents and two brothers. Dot had a great love for the wilderness which was nurtured through the Girl Scout program. Dot always said her best nights were spent sleeping outdoors under the stars. She drove the Alcan north to Alaska after receiving her Ph.D. in Range Science from Colorado State University in 1981. Dot became a research professor in Vegetation Ecology with the University of Alaska Fairbanks and was based at the Palmer Research Center, a position she occupied until her retirement in 2005. Much of her research focused on the revegetation of disturbed soils for the Usibelli Coal Mine. After her retirement her energy was directed to trail use, design and maintenance. She was a founding member of the Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation and a cofounder of the Matanuska Greenbelt Trail Association (MGTA). The public traversing the MGTA trail system use maps and trail signs that Dot developed and installed to keep people safe. It was best stated in her 2012 Meritorious Service Award, arriving in Alaska Dot "has since devoted her life, through teaching, research and volunteer work, to cultivating the land and outdoor spaces of the state."

The public is invited to a potluck Celebration of Dot's Life on July 26th from 1 to 4 p.m. at the UAF Matanuska Experiment Farm, 1509 S. Georgeson Dr., Palmer, AK 99645. Contact Norm Harris at 907-232-5732 for more information.