Helen Pautsch was a pioneer Nurse at Rancho Los Amigos

DOWNEY -- Helen Dailey Pautsch was born May 29, 1943 to John and Margaret Dailey in Altamont, South Dakota. 

She attended Lake Alice District 20 School which was a one-room schoolhouse located on the corner of her parents’ property. She attended Clear Lake High School then moved to Aberdeen to attend Presentation College. 

While at Presentation, she was invited on a blind date to go hunting were she was introduced to Lawrence “Larry” Pautsch from Aberdeen. After graduating from Presentation, she married Larry and the two immediately moved to California. Helen and Larry were blessed with two daughters: Shawna Lee Pautsch and Sheila Sue Pautsch.

Helen built a career as nurse at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center in Downey. While serving as an RN, she enrolled at CSU Long Beach to become one of the first nurse practitioners specializing in spinal cord injury. 

Helen and her colleagues Margaret Murphy and Debbie Johnson blazed a trail for spinal cord injury nursing at Rancho by establishing a primary care clinic for the disabled. They were truly pioneers in their field. Helen served as an RN or NP for over 40 years at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center.

Helen was a survivor and fighter, beating breast and colon cancer. Unfortunately, in April 2018, she was diagnosed with lung and brain cancer. The cancer was quite advanced and she passed away Aug. 7. She died at her home in Downey with her daughters at her side.

She was preceded in death by her husband Larry, her parents John and Margaret Dailey, her sisters Kay Dailey Kalhoff, Nora Dailey Grabow, her brother Tom Dailey, her in laws Ed and Lola Pautsch, her sister in laws Judy Dailey, Mona Pautsch King, and her brother in laws Leon King, Don Grabow, and George DeBoer.