Seth Helie, a small-business owner in Brunswick who devoted his life to family and community, died Tuesday after a five-month fight with brain cancer. He was 42.
Mr. Helie owned and operated Seth Helie Designs, where he had designed and built custom cabinetry and furniture since 2010.
He was married to Amy Helie of Brunswick, and the couple has a 14-year-old son, Ethan Helie.
“He was huge on family,” his wife said Thursday. “Everything revolved around Ethan and myself.”
Seth Helie loved being a father. He and his son Ethan spent a lot of time doing everything from playing basketball to hitting golf balls in the yard. “His number one thing was Ethan. He always came first,” his wife says.
Mr. Helie grew up in Brunswick and graduated from Brunswick High School in 1993. Soon after, he started working with a local carpenter building custom homes and remodels. He started his first carpentry business in 2000, then founded Seth Helie Designs in 2010.
He had a small shop in Brunswick, where he specialized in designing and creating custom furniture and cabinetry for his clients.
“He was so artistic and talented and it really showed in his work,” his wife said. “He took such pride in his work. Everything was done to perfection.”
Outside the shop, Mr. Helie’s focus was his family. His wife remembered when they met as 22-year-olds.
“We both just kind of clicked,” she said. “It was one of those things. Looking back, the two of us were soulmates. We did everything together.”
“Seth always had a smile on his face,” she said. “Every night, we would come home from work and turn the music on and cook dinner, always. Every single night.”
“It was something that came naturally to us. We loved cooking together. We had this flow going. You just knew when the other person would move. We just worked really well together.”
Mr. Helie loved being a father. He and his son spent a lot of time doing everything from playing basketball to hitting golf balls in the yard.
“His number one thing was Ethan. He always came first,” his wife said.
Throughout his years in business, Mr. Helie gave generously to the community. He supported various charitable causes and played in charity golf tournaments.
“He tried to help as many people as he could,” his wife said.
Mr. Helie had a passion for the outdoors. He enjoyed riding his mountain bike, snowboarding, golfing and hiking.
“He did photography for fun and he was amazing at it,” his wife said.
Mr. Helie’s life came to a standstill in September. He woke up one morning and had no idea what day it was. He spent Sept. 10 to Nov. 22 at Maine Medical Center in Portland. In mid-October, he was diagnosed with grade 4 glioblastoma. The tumor covered a large portion of his brain, which significantly impacted his motor functions, she said.
His wife said his brain was donated to Mass General Hospital in Boston for cancer research.
Melanie Creamer can be contacted at 791-6361 or at:
Twitter: MelanieCreamer
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