This is one of my favorite photos of Kelly Helvey-Bayon, beautiful and confident! She was out at a conference in Orlando a few years back and stayed with her school friend Karen Gasbarro.
It is viewing day today, last time I will see Kelly as I know her, such a tough day. But as I sit here reflecting on our life together, we were meant to be together. it’s a cool and funny story and we loved sharing it together. Some of you may have heard it already…for those of you who haven’t, here it is if you would like to know it.
Kelly and I both went to Fairview High School, she was two years behind me and went out with one of my best friends Bob, so I got to know her through Bob. We went to different Elementary and Junior High Schools She also lived next a great friend Scott Jeffers on Omaha Pl in Boulder, whom I got to know at Fairview through football. So I would see her Occasionally around there if i was over at “The Jeffers” (Truth be told, that is who our First born Scott was named after). Well in the Spring of ’82, Bob and Kelly weren’t “Going Steady” at the time so I stopped by to she if she would like to go out sometime, she kindly said no and went to get her friend Shelly for me to meet who had just moved from California. Shelly and I hit it off and started going out. The side benefit was I got to spend more time with Kelly and we became good friends. When she turned 18 we were drinking buddies as well as she would kick my butt playing “quarters” (that nose was built for quarters, mine was more of a ramp) she made me drink many a beer. She never let me forget those days.
So Shelly and I married in 1985, Kelly was one of the bridesmaids in my first wedding, paired up with my buddy Dan K. unfortunately the marriage only lasted 15 months and I moved out to Northern California in Jan ’87 for a new Job. Kelly moved out there as well and moved in with her friend and my ex Shelly. We saw each other a few times out there, but not too much. I remember, I was living in Boulder Creek above Santa Cruz and she came up to visit one time, we were just friends.
In 1990 however, she had broken up with her boyfriend / Fiancé Tom, quit her job and was moving to Georgia to see her Mom Marty Helvey and brother Ryan. Well I was down south in Oxnard, CA and I had to be moved out of the house I was living and into my new place in a couple days. One of us reached out to the other, because she was house sitting for her friend Millie in Aptos, CA. I wasn’t with anybody so I dropped everything and went up to see her. We had the best couple of days around Santa Cruz, Monterey and Carmel. We both looked back on that weekend and wish we would have became a couple at that time. If I didn’t have to leave that night to go finish moving, it could have turned out way different, but the timing was just off, we both wanted to respect our friendship. Well, her more than me…lol. We could have had 6 or 7 more years together and a couple more kids, but things happen for a reason, so they say.
So Kelly moves to Georgia, I go back down south and get my butt moved to Thousand Oaks, months later I meet Wife #2 Michelle, and we move back to Colorado in April of ’91. I was ready to get out of California.
Kelly moved back to California to marry Tom and we both lead our separate lives. So fast forward to April of ’96, Marriage #2 comes to a halt and I move in with my best buddy Bob, who was also now separated with his two kids, Michelle and I had a daughter, Deanna. So Bob and I were living the bachelor lives with our kids. Now it’s the end of May ’96, Kelly and I haven’t talked for a couple years and I get a call out of the blue from my Mom that Kelly called, just moved back to Colorado and now owns a store in Boulder with her Mom and wanted to let me know she was here. Leaves her number with my mom. Kelly is now separated from her husband Tom… I think I drove in to see her that day, it was great to see her. She was so small and thin after her marriage ended badly. We arranged to go to lunch that week and catch up. Now I had been in advertising for about almost 3 years, so I was learning how to “Close” sales better and better. So after lunch I didn’t let the opportunity slip through my fingers like in ’90. I told Kelly, I had always liked her and would love to take her out on a date. Well, she didn’t have a friend handy to pass me off to, so she said not right now I’m not ready. I said, OK I understand, but the soft sale was planted…mission accomplished!
So the weeks pass, I finally get a call from Kelly to see if I wanted to go hang out, I said of course. So we hung out some over the next few weeks, I had a weekend planned up in Breckenridge in July. So I invited her last minute to come up for the weekend if she wanted. Bring your rollerblades I said!! So we had a great time up in Breckenridge and Frisco that weekend as friends. We finally got to have a first date so to speak, I can remember the end like it was yesterday. We ended the night at the Mountain Sun Brewery in Boulder on Pearl st. We did have to drive separate cars because she came from her store. It was late, I had tickets to a concert down at fiddlers green for Kansas/Styx I think the next night, so I asked her if she wanted to go and thankfully she said yes. I walked her to car, we got to the car and I kissed her for the very first time. It was a night I will never forget.
We started officially going out and as you remember from earlier in the story, I am living with my buddy Bob, her first boyfriend, so one night she made us all dinner and said “This is weird” I am here making dinner for my first boyfriend and current boyfriend. It was too funny. So I eventually got my own place, we made it through 3 years of slightly rough courtship and we got married June 27th, 1999 with my Buddy Bob by my side as my Best Man. (Shelly wasn’t there, but that would have really made the story, wouldn’t it)
Disclaimer…Some details may be slightly fuzzy due to past discretions.
Thank you all for every bit of support I have received. This was very therapeutic to write, I hope it’s not TMI. I will always have these memories. It’s time to make some new ones as well. I don’t know what to tell everybody what I need right now, don’t feel bad if I’m not reaching out. It’s a process I have to go through. I am Strong, I will be OK and I have a Fantastic 18 yr Son that Kelly and I raised to live the best life he can. I want to be here for Steven as long as I can. Her spirit lives inside him as well!