Helen Smades is a Central Valley legend in real estate and philanthropy. Photo via Fresno Chamber of Commerce

A true Central Valley legend in and out of the boardroom and a trailblazer for women in real estate has died.

Helen Smades of Fresno died on Feb. 24 at age 94. She was one of the first women to break into the real estate business when she became a broker in 1956 and opened her own office, Helen Smades Real Estate, a year later.

It wasn’t easy. As a woman member, she wasn’t allowed to attend regular meetings of the local realty board at first, she said in a later interview. She recalled receiving help from local male Realtors, but it wasn’t all positive.

“This is a man’s business, Helen,” she said one man told her early in her career. “You should be home taking care of your children.”

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In addition to her 60-plus-year career in real estate, Smades was also a philanthropic force in the Fresno area, with Fresno State one of her favored institutions for monetary donations and professional service. She was also  a founding trustee of the Fresno Metropolitan Museum and served on the board for San Joaquin College of Law and Saint Agnes Foundation.

She also sat on the first steering committee when the Fresno Chamber of Commerce established Leadership Fresno in 1984 to help develop skilled community leaders.

Smades was highly lauded for her career accomplishments. She was the first woman to receive the prestigious Leon S. Peters Award from the Fresno Chamber in 1992. She was also the 2004 recipient of the Arthur Safstrom Service Award by the Fresno State Alumni Association.

In an interview with the late Fresno County educational leader Pete Mehas for her Peters award, she touched on what the real estate industry means to her.

“Each day is new and different, with new faces and new stories behind those faces,” she said. “It’s a happy business. A lot of businesses aren’t happy I don’t think.”

Smades was also honored among the 20 most influential business people of the past two decades as part of The Business Journal’s “Central Valley Legends” program in 2012. She was included with the likes of Carol Chandler, Sid Cox, John Harris, David McDonald and Fred Ruiz.

Former Fresno Chamber President and CEO Al Smith had this to say about Smades for “Central Valley Legends.”

“Helen was sort of a pioneer in achieving a level of statesmanship for females in the early days. She’s been an inspiration for everybody for the quality of her work and for her leadership abilities. She is one who loves Fresno and is a big part of the fabric of the city and there is no question she has been part of the elite leadership of the business community.”