Helen Bonfils

Helen Bonfils
Born	Helen Gilmer Bonfils (1889-11-16)November 16, 1889 Peekskill, New York, US
Died	June 6, 1972(1972-06-06) (aged 82) Denver, Colorado, US
Resting place	Fairmount Mausoleum (Denver, Colorado)
Occupation(s)	Actress, theatrical producer, newspaper executive, philanthropist
Spouses	George Somnes ​ (m. 1936)​ Edward Michael Davis
Parent(s)	Frederick Gilmer Bonfils Belle Barton Bonfils
Relatives	May Bonfils Stanton, sister
Awards	Colorado Women's Hall of Fame (1985) Colorado Performing Arts Hall of Fame (1999)

Helen Gilmer Bonfils (November 16, 1889 – June 6, 1972)^[1] was an American heiress, actress, theatrical producer, newspaper executive, and philanthropist. She acted in local theatre in Denver, Colorado, and on Broadway, and also co-produced plays in Denver, New York City, and London. She succeeded her father, Frederick Gilmer Bonfils, as manager of The Denver Post in 1933, and eventually became president of the company. Lacking heirs, she invested her fortune into providing for the city of Denver and the state of Colorado, supporting the Belle Bonfils Blood Bank, the Bonfils Memorial Theatre, the University of Denver, the Denver Zoo, the Dumb Friends League, churches, and synagogues. Her estate endowed the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. She was posthumously inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Colorado Performing Arts Hall of Fame in 1999.