Rebecca Helianthus Born in 1947 to two pioneer families of

Rebecca Helianthus Born in 1947 to two pioneer families of New Mexico, the Greaves of Roosevelt County and the Mason and Boyce families of Chaves County, Rebecca Helianthus died on July 1, 2025. Rebecca grew up in Portales, New Mexico, graduating from Portales High in 1965. She earned her bachelor's degrees in English and Geology from Eastern New Mexico University in 1969 and later completed a master's degree in Outdoor Environmental Education from the University of New Mexico. Her first job was with The Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper. She later taught English and Journalism at Harrington Junior High. Moving to New York, she became an Urban Park Ranger in Central Park while her husband Gary Tydings attended Brooklyn College. The family then relocated to Washington, D.C., where Rebecca taught environmental education at Riverbend Nature Center in Fairfax, Virginia, while Gary was employed by Senator Jeff Bingaman. The family returned to New Mexico, where Rebecca became the Assistant Manager of the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park. There, she continued her passion for environmental science, and managed a vibrant and dedicated volunteer workforce. In her later years, Rebecca lived at her beloved mountain cabin in the Sapello Valley north of Las Vegas, NM. After fires and floods devastated the area, she devoted herself to land restoration efforts, working alongside the Hermit Peak Watershed Alliance to help return the land to its natural state. Rebecca is survived by her daughters: Merril Tydings of Santa Fe; Justine Tydings and wife Heather Ezell; and granddaughter, Dylan Canyon, of Laramie, Wyoming. She is also survived by her sisters, Judy Rainger of Santa Fe and Tish McDaniel of Clovis, as well as many outstanding nieces and nephews. Donations can be made to: Friends of the Rio Grande Nature Center, Hermits Peak Watershed Alliance, Labyrinth Resource Group, Roots Animal Sanctuary. Please contact family for memorial service information.