HARRISBURG, P.A. – Dennis Helsel, former Chowan University Vice President for Athletics,  passed away on January 16th, 2025 at the tender age of 77. In his passing he was surrounded by those who loved him the most and whom he loved the most. Dennis lived a full, vibrant, and loud life. It was a life in which he was able to share his God-given gifts of service, leadership, loyalty, and love. Sadly Dennis lost a valiant battle against brain cancer, but joyously Dennis knew what waited for him on the other side was the reward for a life well-lived and a life well-loved. 

If you were lucky enough to know Dennis Helsel, you knew this about him: His inside voice was the same as his outside voice – loud. Never needing a microphone, his voice projection talent was unmatched by any other in any room he ever entered. While Dennis possessed many skills in his life, whispering surely was not one of them. 

If you were lucky enough to know Dennis Helsel, you knew that his booming voice was just a small part of what made him loud. Dennis’ calling in life was to live it loudly. While his voice echoed, it was his actions in life that resounded louder. 

In service to God, he lived loud. Dennis felt a calling to serve the Lord in whatever community he and his family called home. He taught Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, led numerous church ministries, and even mentored young couples. Never fully retired, Dennis took up lay leadership for his home church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Calvary United Methodist Church. In recent years he traveled to areas in Pennsylvania to bring the word as a certified lay leader when churches needed substitute pastors. If you were lucky enough to know Dennis, then you understand that this semi-retired job came easy to him. Dennis had stories to share and lessons to teach. Thankfully he was also a man of many words, especially if the words were activated by the Holy Spirit. 

Dennis served Chowan University as Vice President for Athletics dutifully and loyally from 2006 until 2013.  He retired from the position in late 2013 with over 35 years of intercollegiate athletic experience, with eight of those years having been the Vice President for Athletics at Chowan University.  Over the course of his 35 year collegiate athletic career, Dennis served within various associations including NCAA Division I institutions (Penn State, Old Dominion, Syracuse, Akron, and Maryland) and Conference USA. 

As a West Point graduate and a retired Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) in the United States Army, Dennis knew a thing or two about duty. If you were lucky enough to know Dennis, you understand that duty was another way to showcase his gifts of loyalty and leadership. Dennis led loudly, from the front, the back, the side, the roof, wherever he found space, he filled it. 

Dennis demanded attention to detail within the athletic department but also after the dust settled to be sure not to lose the forest in the trees. He commanded excellence from his staff through word and action and chose many proverbial hills to battle on causes close to his heart and the hearts of those he served. 

And speaking of hearts, Dennis had a big one. He helped and guided others through his servant leadership style and had a large capacity for compassion for all walks of life. Dennis was known to give the athletic department’s staff’s children his happy meal toys. He collected them in a large box and handed them out to the children of the community. It was one of the ways many children in the Chowan community remember him. For every toy that was given, Dennis also shared a lesson, a funny joke, or a bit of unsolicited life advice. If you were lucky enough to know Dennis, you probably received some of this unsolicited life advice too. 

Over the years Dennis became woven into the Chowan community. He took his duty to the University with great honor. Under Dennis’ guidance and oversight, the Hawks soared to new heights having made the transition from NCAA DIII to NCAA DII and accepted into full membership with the oldest historically black conference in the nation, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).   The Hawks enjoyed five CIAA Championships during Helsel’s tenure; two in the sport of softball, and two in volleyball and one golf medalist along with four CIAA Northern Division Championships in softball and volleyball.   

As a result of Dennis’ tireless leadership efforts, Chowan student-athletes and the department as a whole have seen the benefit of significant increases in operational budgets, salaries, and scholarships.   He was instrumental in the addition of women’s bowling (winter 2010), reestablishment of the women’s cross country team (fall of 2011), the addition of women’s lacrosse (spring 2012), and the addition of men’s cross country (fall 2012).  Dennis’ commitment to gender equity still serves as a model for Chowan athletics and for other institutions.

Former Chowan University President, Dr. Chris White, said of Dennis, “In my almost 35 years of being a university president, Dennis Helsel was easily the best athletic director I had. He came to Chowan at a critical time. He almost single-handedly got us approved as a NCAA D2 school and solidified our CIAA status. But more than this, we were good friends who trusted and respected each other.” 

Dr. White sought to honor Dennis’ success and contribution to the Chowan athletics and the institution as a whole. He, along with the Board of Trustees, unanimously named Dennis Director of Athletics Emeritus in 2013. To date, this honor has never been bestowed on an athletic director in the history of the institution. Further commemorating this contributions to the university, he was inducted into the Chowan University “Jim Garrison” Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. 

Dr. Rosemary M. Thomas, current President of Chowan University remarked, “Chowan University mourns the loss of one of its own in Dennis Helsel. He was a trailblazer and unifier for the blue and white. He continued his support of Chowan through service on our Board of Visitors and was identified by many as a trusted friend and mentor. His legacy will endure. Our prayers are with his family and all those who loved and admired him.” 

While his life on earth was lived loud in word and in action, Dennis’ legacy will continue in all the facets of his life’s work. From his family, to his church, to his beloved West Point, to his friends, to Chowan University, Dennis’ loud life will continue to echo across the paths he traveled, signifying the loud and lasting legacy of his earthly life. 

Dennis leaves behind his wonderful wife, Sue, three children, Mike, Chris, and Jennifer, their spouses, and six grandchildren, Mia, Maci, Ava, Jack, Avery, and James. They all were in fact, lucky enough to not only know Dennis, but to be loved by Dennis, and to have been the best parts of Dennis’ very loud life on this earth.