A very beloved, generous and loyal son, husband, father and friend was lost to us on August 6th, 2012 while at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, WA after a long battle with a respiratory ailment.
Cliff was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. June 22, 1930 to Catherine and Clifford Samuel Hellings Sr. and grew up in the shadows of NYC in Valley Cottage NY with his sister Carol Ritter (Suffern, NY).
Cliff went to Valley Cottage elementary school and then nearby Congers High School where he graduated in 1948. Cliff loved to hunt, play tennis and “hang out” with his friends Bobby Raggi, Guido Garagna and Mike Alexander. He also lettered in Varsity Soccer, Basketball and Baseball.
While at Congers High School, Cliff met his future wife, Peggy. They married September 26th 1953.
Cliff was on active duty in the US Army for two years starting in 1948 in the US 3rd Armored division, mechanized Rifles as a tank driver both at Fort Mead, MD and later at Fort AP Hill, VA.
Cliff graduated from Davis and Elkins College in Elkins WV in 1952 with a degree in Chemistry. He put his degree to good use working in the health and safety field working for American Can Co., Continental Can Co. and finally American Cyanamid where he worked for 25 years until his retirement in 1989. During that time he served as member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. He traveled extensively for his job but always enjoyed returning to his family and summer time retreat at White Lake NY. Cliff also enjoyed side jobs as an ice skating guard, hockey equipment salesman and horse track ticket seller.
Cliff and Peggy moved to Montague, NJ in 1980 in anticipation of his retirement. There he refocused on helping others as school bus driver and also as an Emergency Medical Technician with the Blue Ridge Rescue Squad in Branchville, NJ. Cliff also served as an Elder in the Port Jervis First Presbyterian church.
In 2006 Cliff and Peg moved cross country to be closer to family and took residence in Bellevue, WA.
Cliff loved a good time, a good story, a good poker game, a nice sandwich and an ice cold martini.
Cliff is survived by his wife Peggy (Bellevue WA.) his sister Carol Ritter and brother in-in-law Lawrence Ritter (Suffern N.Y.), sons Carl Hellings and wife Jolie (Lenehan) Hellings (Yarrow Point, WA) and Clifford Hellings III (Salt lake City, UT.). He was predeceased by Christopher Hellings (Montague NJ). He also leaves behind seven grandchildren: Simone Hellings (Suffern NY), Brennan Hellings (Atlanta, GA.), Clifford, Alex and Lavender Hellings (Salt Lake City, Utah), Christopher and Sam Hellings (Yarrow Point, WA). He is also survived by two great grandchildren Claudia and Akai Hellings (Suffern NY).
Memorial services will be held at 11 am September 28, 2012 at the Bellevue Presbyterian church followed by interment services at the US Veteran’s Cemetery in Tahoma WA.
