Shelter Island Reporter obituary: Rae Gordon Sargent
Rae Gordon Sargent, a beloved former member of the Shelter Island and Greenwich, Conn. communities, passed away peacefully at the age of 94 in Greenwich.
Born in England and raised in Cardiff, Wales, Rae’s early life was marked by athletic achievement and a passion for tennis and squash. She was a junior doubles champion of Wales and semi-finalist at Wimbledon, and proudly captained the Wales Women’s Squash Team.
Rae moved to the United States in 1955 and married George W. Helme III of Shelter Island and Philadelphia. She spent many cherished summers on Shelter Island, where she was a member of the Shelter Island Yacht Club (SIYC) and the Shelter Island Tennis Club.
She championed and helped found the Shelter Island Tennis Tournament in the 1970s. She was a fierce competitor on the court in women’s singles and mixed doubles with her friend and partner Richard O’Connor.
She was an active member of the SIYC and remembered by many for the year she crewed for Diana Lockwood (Tiernan) and won the fastest mother’s race — being neither a swimmer nor a sailor herself — as husband George and his brother Jay Helme dutifully patrolled beside them for the duration of the race in the event she fell in.
Her vibrant spirit shone through in her love for family, tennis, squash, dancing, entertaining, gardening and her beloved Pekingese dogs, many of which were rescues and simply called Honey.
She loved baseball, especially the Yankees, a passion she shared with her granddaughter, Allison. One of her greatest thrills was being invited to join Allison at a game to see their favorite, CC Sabathia, pitch. Those who knew Rae remember the twinkle in her bright blue eyes and her humor, warmth, and dedication to friends and family.
Rae was dedicated to tennis all of her life, captaining league and club teams and leading youth tennis for years at the Englewood Field Club. Her passion for the sport led her to launch Our Racquet and the Pink Geranium shop with good friend Betty Hansel across the street from the post office in the Heights. She was last seen on the tennis court at 92 coaching her granddaughter Sandra’s serve.
She was known to watch live tennis tournaments on TV at all hours, and could be heard by the whole household cheering on or berating her favorite players as late as 4 a.m., for the Australian Open.
Rae is survived by her children Lisa Helme Danforth, Charles E. Helme, and Julie Helme Gordon, and George W. Helme IV, Melissa Mark and Liz Montaner. She is also survived by her seven grandchildren, Liz, Allie, Chris, Skipper, Luke, Jordi and Sandra, and three great-granddaughters, Isabelle, Adriana and Amelia, who called her Gigi.
Rae’s presence will be deeply missed by her loved ones and all who had the privilege of knowing her. She is preceded in death by her husbands George W. Helme III and J. Weir Sargent Jr., as well as her parents Leslie and Doreen Gordon.
A service to celebrate her life will be held at 11 a.m., December 21, 2024, at St. Barnabas Church, 954 Lake Avenue, Greenwich, Conn. with reception to follow. The family suggests that in lieu of flowers donations are made to the Union Chapel in the Grove, Shelter Island Heights, NY 11965.
