Copyright Baltimore Sun
Robert “Bob” Helsley, a graphics art teacher, poster designer and collector, died of pneumonia and sepsis complications Oct. 14 at Ascension St. Agnes Hospital. The Franklin Square resident was 79. Born in Baltimore and raised in Glenelg and Ellicott City, he was the son of Hazel Martin and Robert H. Helsley. A graduate at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School and Howard High School, Bob received a scholarship to the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he later taught. After leaving MICA he went into on-air television design, initially at Pittsburgh’s WQED, where “Mister Rogers Neighborhood” was being produced. He then worked at MPT in Owings Mills and subsequently became art director at Baltimore’s WMAR-TV, where he worked with afternoon host Sylvia Scott and others. Mr. Helsley later joined WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C. He won three Emmy Awards — for TV graphics, set design and animation. Mr. Helsley retired in 2020 from Montgomery College in Rockville where he taught design and graphic arts for 17 years. As a teacher he directed his department’s outreach and recruitment activities and founded a “portfolio nights” program where faculty and admissions officers from four-year programs visit Montgomery College to review student work. “Bob was very well liked. He was kind but had high standards because of his years of work in television visuals,” said Norberto Gomez Jr., visual and performing arts chair at Montgomery College. “He was a fantastic illustrator and typographer. He had the perspective of someone trained in visual design before it was computer based. He was a master of [Adobe] PhotoShop and Illustrator and helped and encouraged students from very diverse backgrounds to continue their education at four- year schools. “Bob was patient with his students and was a consistent donor to the college for scholarships,” Mr. Gomez said. The college’s board awarded Mr. Helsley its bronze medallion for his “enthusiasm and dedication” at his retirement. A poster designer, he created a 1982 poster for the opening of the Joseph Meyerhoff Hall that was exhibited in the prints and maps department of the Library of Congress. He also created posters for the 1983 Inner Harbor U.S. Pro Cycling event and for numerous productions of the Baltimore Opera Co. Mr. Helsley was a collector of antique posters. “Bob had impeccable taste,” said James R. Pierce, a friend and gallery owner. “He could come up with original ideas for the framing and he knew how to find things. He could also do paper restoration well.” A member of the Golden Glow of Christmas Past, he collected early games, decorations, and miniature Santas associated with the holiday. Mr. Helsley also was among those who restored dollar houses in the early 1980s. He refurbished a Victorian rowhouse in Southwest Baltimore that he used as a backdrop for his many collections. Friends said he spent weekends combing antique shops. He participated in the old Columbia Flea Market and other venues. He was a regular shopper along Baltimore’s Howard Street Antique Row. Survivors include a sister, Jewell Novak, of Monson, Massachusetts, and a brother, Michael Helsley, of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and cousins, nieces and nephews. Graveside services were held Oct. 20 at Loudon Park Cemetery. Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jkelly@baltsun.com.
