FAMILY PLACED OBITUARY

LARRY EDWARD HELBER
$nameLARRY EDWARD HELBER Larry Edward Helber, of Honolulu, passed peacefully on Tuesday, August 9th 2016. He was born October 12, 1937 in Portland, Oregon to Fred and Frances Helber. Larry graduated from Oregon State University and University of Washington with degrees in Landscape Architecture, Business Administration, and Urban Planning. Larry was a founder and Chairman of Helber Hastert & Fee, Planners. He was a global expert in Resort and Tourism Planning and completed planning projects in Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka, India, Fiji, Malaysia, Philippines, The People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Okinawa, Saipan, Brazil, Egypt, and the Republic of Bophuhatswana, South Africa. He led national tourism studies in China, the Maldives, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Fiji, Vanuatu, Guam and the Philippines and was involved in the master planning of some of the most successful and prestigious resorts in Hawaii, including Mauna Kea Beach Resort, Kapalua Bay Resort and Kaanapali Beach Resort. He was a member of the Pacific Asia Tourism Association (PATA) and the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). He also served as a member of the architectural review committees of Mauna Kea Resort, Keahou-Kona Resort and Kaanapali Beach Resort. Larry thrived in his overseas assignments, often collaborating with WATG Architects (then HHF's parent firm). Larry attacked his projects with a passion and often combined site inspections, plan development and client interaction into an intensive one-week, on-site event; an exhausting exercise for his clients and staff but extremely successful nonetheless. He was a broad thinker and could conceive a 2,000-acre mixed use resort and then proceed to detail the various elements, guiding his multidisciplinary support team. He was a renaissance planner with excellent skill in design, analysis, and communications. He mentored a number of successful planners and helped guide HHF to become one of Hawaii's most successful planning firms. For over 30 years, Mr. Helber was on faculty of the University Of Hawaii, School Of Travel Industry Management and its Executive Development Institute for Tourism, teaching courses on tourism and resort development. He was co-author of a book entitled Tourism Planning and Development and has spoken on the subject of tourism and resort planning and development at numerous tourism conferences in the Pacific Basin. Mr. Helber served as a Captain in the United States Coast Guard and Reserves from 1961 to 1984. He also served his community holding leadership positions at Lyon Arboretum and Central Union Church Preschool. Larry is survived by his wife of 53 years, Dee Helber, sons Doug and Ben, and four grandchildren: Kai, Emma, Chloe and Cole, and sister, Janet Cook. He was a loving husband and father. A celebration of Larry's life will be 3:00 pm, Friday, August 26, 2016 at Central Union Church courtyard. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, Lyon Arboretum, or Maunalani Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased

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