Phillip John Helmore OAM
20 November 1947 to 2 March 2025
Beloved and devoted husband of Helen.
Cherished and caring father of Kieran, Rachael, Olivia and Declan.
Big brother of Ada, Charles, Jane and Anna.
Eldest son of John and Noela.
Our Phillip was a passionate pragmatist and stoic man with impeccably high standards. Phil was
never satisfied with a job until he knew for certain that he had done it to the best of his ability. Through
his dedication to the pursuit of his many interests, Phil developed and maintained a long list of friends
and activities that brought him joy.
Phil’s fondness for nature began in his birthplace of Eden where he was surrounded by the ocean,
beaches, the bush, birds and beautiful scenery. Phil’s love of the great outdoors continued when he
met Helen and they made their home in bushy Turramurra which is where they raised their four
children Kieran, Rachael, Olivia and Declan.
A lover of bikes, boats and bacon and egg rolls, Phil circumnavigated Australia on his motorbike and
would front up to different wharfs along the coast and ask if they needed a hand. He went prawn
trawling in Canarvon, lobster fishing on the Abrolhos Islands and of course tuna fishing from Eden.
Phil cycled the Bobbin Head pendulum countless times, and his mastery of cornering downhill has
become the stuff of legend.
Universally loved by his uni students, Phil was renowned for his ability to balance the practicalities of
industry with academia.
An avid reader, Phil was constantly reserving books at the library and he was blown away by the
invention of the kindle, with his now containing a list of the many hundreds of books he devoured in
their entirety.
A lover of truth and logic, Phil’s enjoyment of crosswords, his bible (the Macquarie Dictionary) and his
ability to solve practical problems by inventing new gadgets from scraps selectively stored in his
workshop kept Phil razor sharp right up until the end.
Family and friends from all over the world would receive Phil’s weekly SitRep (Situation Report) with
much excitement, waiting to read about his perspective on the week’s occurrences and his description
of Sunday night dinner.
At the end of an exhaustive week, Phil would enjoy nothing more than to indulge in a gin and tonic (or
two) before dinner.
Given Phil’s lifetime of service to the profession of naval architecture, it was ironic that his pragmatism
kept him from ever investing in his own boat, apart from a wind surfer and a kayak.
Chief organiser of school, uni and family reunions, long-time technical editor of The Australian Naval
Architect, official tracker of powerful owls, bushwalker extrordinaire, Camino pilgrim, landscape
admirer, Phil took photographs throughout it all, which his family will treasure forever.
A heartfelt thank you to the staff at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and Tender Funerals for their care
and treatment of our wonderful Phil.
Our Phil lived a life with no regrets and a relaxed mind, filled to overflowing with the consistent pursuit
of his passions.
He may now rest peacefully.
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