Helaine Kephart

Helaine Marie Kephart -- Amazing mother, wife, sister, and friend. November 1941 – August 2025

Helaine Marie Kephart, a woman of fierce intelligence and a zest for life, passed away peacefully at her home in Palm Desert, California, at the age of 83. She left behind a legacy of love, laughter, and a resume that represents the amazing nature of her character.

Born near Sutter’s Fort in Sacramento and raised in the small town of Dixon, CA, Helaine was the middle child of three and the first-born girl on her father’s side in four generations. She was a fifth-generation Californian and she considered this a point of pride.

She grew up in what she fondly called “idyllic times,” and made the most of them. As a sports reporter for the Sacramento Bee and an active student at Dixon High School (Rally Committee and Ski Club), she was chosen to give the inspirational speech at her graduation — a moment that foreshadowed a lifetime of inspiring others.

In 1959, she left Dixon for Pacific University in Oregon, where she met and married her first husband, Jon Houston in 1961, and began her greatest adventure: motherhood. She raised four children with Jon, to whom she was married for 13 years. Later, after marrying Robert Kephart in 1976, two more were added to the mix—one by birth and one by heart, bringing the total to six, each one a unique masterpiece of her parenting style, which combined wisdom, wit, and the occasional “because I said so” and “don’t make me stop this car”.

When asked if she would do it all over again, her response was, “I love you all deeply, but no”. Honest and funny.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Helaine earned her associate degree in structural engineering from the Oregon Institute of Technology in 1979, while working and raising a small army of children. She was one of only two women in her class, which didn’t surprise anyone who knew her.

In 1980, she left Oregon, and after a brief stop in North Dakota, the family moved to Japan for her spouse’s job. While living on the U.S. Naval base in Yokosuka, Japan, she joined Toastmasters International — winning speaking contests and traveling across Japan as a representative of the All Japan Toastmasters Council. She served as Ombudsman to the Commanding Officer, Base Commander, and Commander Fleet Activities (COMFLEACT) as the liaison to the US Navy community. She even counseled American prisoners in Kurihama Prison where only the worst offenders were sent. Proof of her courage and compassion for others.

Never one to ask what someone could do for her, she served her community and country with distinction, pride, and honor. She represented the University of Arizona for U.S. Forces Japan and once taught aboard the 6th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge, visiting every port in Australia during the Royal Australian Navy’s 75th anniversary. She was the only woman on board with a crew of over 800 as the ship crossed the equator, becoming a member of a small and esteemed community to do so.

Upon returning to California, Helaine spent 20 years with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a Community Relations representative, helping disaster survivors find resources and hope. She was often seen on TV or quoted in newspapers, always with her signature poise and empathy and a voice that could calm chaos.

She was a passionate supporter of Save the Rhino International and Shriners Children’s Hospital in Sacramento, which had provided invaluable care to her beloved granddaughter Katherine. Her love for her children and grandchildren was fierce and unwavering, and she was proud of each of them.

Helaine is survived by her husband of 49 years, Robert Kephart; her children Sharon, Jane, James, Rob, Leslie, and Jeff; her brother Del Holly, grandchildren Stephen and Michael; and a legacy that spans continents and generations. She was preceded in death by her parents, Amos and Jane Holly, her granddaughter Katherine Helaine, and her brother Robert Holly.

Cut solidly from the cloth of strong California pioneer women before her, you don't need to look far to find "a life well lived" or an example to emulate.

Helaine lived a life that could fill volumes. She did it all with style, strength, and a twinkle in her eye. She will be deeply missed and joyfully remembered.

She will be interred at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery, a fitting resting place for this woman with a wonderful sense of humor, grace, and grit.

All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. -- J.R.R. Tolkien

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her name to Save the Rhino International or Shriners Children’s Hospital in Sacramento, CA—two causes close to her heart.

Helaine Kephart, 83, born on November 02, 1941, in , CA, United States, passed away August 28, 2025. She resided in Palm Desert, CA at the time of her passing. Arrangements are under the care of Forest Lawn, Cathedral City, CA.