Page 12 - City of Hope NBPI 2022 SOL Journal

Irwin Helford, a legend in the business products industry and a philanthropist devoted to advancing City of Hope’s mission, died on Aug. 11, 2022, at age 88. His persistent focus on expanding quality patient care at City of Hope culminated in a transformative gift made with his wife Betty to establish Helford Hospital. In the business world he will be remembered for leading Viking Office Products through a remarkable expansion of the company, including a merger with Office Depot. He is survived by his wife of 66 years,
Tour leader, Lee Okholm, guides Helfords and group through patients’ lovely rose garden.
Betty; their children, Michael and Jackie; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Helford was a true visionary. It is what made him a success, building an illustrious career in the business products industry that spanned 50 years. Helford would often say that exemplary customer service for him was a “religion.” In 1984, he joined Viking Office Products as the president and chief operating officer and was later appointed as CEO and chair of the company’s board of directors. Under his
City of Hope
Remembers
Irwin Helford
“He was a person of vision, of deep commitment,
of caring and of insight,
a constellation of features he brought to everything”
leadership, Viking grew dramatically, becoming multinational with operations in the United States, Europe and Australia. In 1998, Viking merged with Office Depot to form the world’s largest office products retailer at that time.
The Helford name is closely tied to City of Hope’s compassionate care and innovative research through a
Betty and Irwin at the gate that tells the philosophy of the City of Hope Medical Center.