Pictured Above: Thomas Helmy, 20, a biology major, was “always quick with a joke,” a classmate says and called “hard-working, pleasant and thoughtful” by a professor.
Courtesy of the Helmy family
By Catherine Hicks
A 20-year-old USF St. Petersburg student was killed in a car accident in Hudson on Jan. 12.
Thomas Helmy, a first-year biology major, was born in Nashville, Tennessee. His funeral service was held Saturday at St. Mary & St. Mina Coptic Orthodox Church in Clearwater and a graveside service was held afterward at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park in Clearwater.
Michelle Green, an instructor in USF St. Petersburg’s biology department, was Helmy’s professor for Biology 1 last spring.
“Thomas was hard-working, pleasant and thoughtful,” Green said. “On several occasions he brought a smile to our class by quietly mentioning that it was a classmate’s birthday. We all enjoyed those small, celebratory moments in our class and we have Thomas to thank for them.”
Classmates and friends of Helmy wrote messages of sympathy and grief on Dignity Memorial, an online memorial service that was established to allow the Helmy family to receive flowers and read memories from those close to Helmy.
Sydney Brown, a fellow USF student, shared her memories of him from their classes together.
“We had two classes together and collaborated on multiple projects. Thomas was always quick with a joke and was kind to everyone he spoke to. He spoke highly of his family and expressed a great amount of care for his dog,” Brown wrote. “Thomas will be greatly missed on campus. No words can express how sorry I am for his loss. I hope his family and friends find peace during this difficult time.”
Jacob Diaz, dean of students at USF St. Petersburg, shared his condolences with loved ones of Helmy.
“It’s such sad news; a young man who was only a first-year biology student on our campus (had) his life end so suddenly,” Diaz said. “I have had a chance to speak with a family member, and they’re devastated, as you can imagine. My thoughts are sincerely with them, his friends and loved ones who knew him on our campus or otherwise.”
The Helmy family has requested that friends refrain from visiting their house because of COVID-19 concerns.
Helmy was the second USF St. Petersburg student to die in a car crash in recent months. Bryan Pennington died last June in a one-car crash in Tampa.
