Brian Helm passed away peacefully on October 26, 2025 in Oshawa, Ontario at the age of 89. Father of Timothy Beyer Helm, and predeceased by his parents, Francis and Lilian (née Mills) Helm, he is also survived by his former wife Gisela Beyer, mother of his son, and fondly remembered by cousins and close friends in the U.K. and Canada.
Brian was born in Hull, U.K. educated at the University of Durham, King’s College, obtaining a M.Sc., then became a P.Eng. He had a long career in management and engineering consulting, including as a principal in leading international firms. He later started his own firm, B. Helm Associates Ltd., in Toronto, as management, industrial and engineering consultants, specializing in developmental and operational feasibility and investment planning projects for over 25 years. He worked on projects around the globe, including Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and Kosovo, with numerous businesses, governments and government agencies.
Posted from Toronto to Liverpool in the mid 1960s, one of Brian's earliest achievements was to lead the MALTS Merseyside Area Land Use and Transportation Study team of civil engineers. Brian's groundbreaking 1969 report laid the foundations for transforming the city of Liverpool's transport infrastructure during the next six decades. Anyone travelling today on Liverpool's underground Merseyrail network, the busiest outside London, is using a system Brian envisaged sixty years ago.
Brian had an exuberant laugh, an enjoyment for world-wide travel, rugby and cycling in his youth, and walking in the outdoors. He was a mentor and friend to colleagues, and took pleasure in maintaining contacts around the globe. Brian also enjoyed sharing special occasions with family and close friends on both sides of the "pond" over the decades. He will be greatly missed.
Funeral Service will be held on Monday, November 3, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. with visitation 1 hour prior.
Funeral Details
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Visitation
York Cemetery & Funeral Centre
160 Beecroft Road, Toronto, ON, CANADA, M2N 5Z5
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Monday, 3 Nov 2025 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Funeral
York Cemetery & Funeral Centre
160 Beecroft Road, Toronto, ON, CANADA, M2N 5Z5
Get Directions