Mr. Heli

By: Melissa Blish

Regis has had many coaches and teachers over the years, one of whom was Mr. Steve Heli. Mr. Heli was Regis’s teacher and volleyball coach for around 16 years. He was originally from Kunbaja, Hungary, and moved to America in 1952. He was then put in box cars to be moved to Germany, where he stayed for six years. His family, home, and land were left behind, and he had to stay in the boxcars for a month. In 1985, he left Roseburg and came to Stayton because there were no Catholic schools that taught beyond 6th grade, and he wanted to make sure his children had a Catholic education.

While Mr. Heli was at Regis, he significantly impacted the school. He cared about all of his students and wanted them to succeed. At first, he was hesitant to teach at a Catholic school thinking it would be difficult but after he adjusted he realized that it was right where God needed him to be. He also made a huge difference on the volleyball team, getting them second in state. He not only had a good influence on his students and players but also on some other teachers at the school. He also caused other people to consider taking up teaching or coaching.

Mr. Heli started by teaching at Regis but saw they needed a volleyball coach, so he decided to fill in because his family needed the money. He coached for around 11-12 years of basketball at many different places before this and saw it as a good opportunity. Before Mr. Heli came to Regis, the volleyball team was okay, but by the time he retired, he managed to get them second in state, which was a huge accomplishment for the school that year. He loved getting his teams to become competitive, and his goal was to win the 2A championship. In his last season of coaching, the team played in the 2000 state championship match and unfortunately lost but came in 2nd.

The volleyball team wasn’t the only people impacted by him; his students were too. Mr. Heli didn’t originally want to be a teacher; he was actually studying to become a medical doctor in college. He felt God had provided him a way to be a teacher, and he taught in Illinois for five years with only a probationary certificate. He later took graduate school classes in education. He taught for 17 years in public schools before coming to Regis and 23 years in Catholic schools. He was the science teacher for all the years he taught and helped his students learn in a way that benefited them. If they needed help with anything, he would stay after school and make sure they got the help they needed.

Mr. Heli was married in 1969, to his wife, Lora, and they have been married for 55 years. They have four children, two boys and two girls, and now have six grandchildren. He retired in 2001 and lives at home with his wife. After forty years of teaching, his wife told him it might be time to stop working and instead enjoy being a grandparent. He has taught and coached at many different places over the years and agreed that it might be time to enjoy life for a while. He has impacted so many people and made an incredible difference on the court and in the classroom.