Randy Weber: “Today, I rise to honor the memory of Helen Kilroy of Galveston County. Helen Kilroy was a woman of service who always…”

“Today, I rise to honor the memory of Helen Kilroy of Galveston County. Helen Kilroy was a woman of service who always put community and others first. In March of 1989, her son, Mark Kilroy--her and Jim's son-- disappeared during a spring break in Mexico. Unfortunately, the Kilroy's ultimately learned that their beloved son was murdered by a cult practicing human sacrifice. Losing a loved one, especially a son or daughter, can be debilitating; instead, Helen and Jim Kilroy decided to channel their grief into action. The memory of their son was honored through their support of causes to help those in need. In 1995, the Kilroys founded the Mark Kilroy Foundation to support the Safe Communities Coalition. The coalition works to promote drug- free communities, violence prevention, and anger management. It also provides counseling for at-risk children. Helen Kilroy's selflessness did not stop at the creation of the Mark Kilroy Foundation. Helen was a foster parent to seven children and a district leader for the Bay Area Council Cub Scouts from 1976-1983. She was a Meals on Wheels volunteer. She was a Santa Fe Parks and Recreation Board member, a dedicated church Eucharistic minister, as well as a volunteer EMT and a paramedic for Santa Fe, Texas, EMS. On December 22, 2014, Helen Kilroy lost her battle with ALS-Lou Gehrig's disease. She died after fighting that long battle.…”