Raymond was born August 7, 1939, to Earl T. and Neoma M. (Rinehart) Helland in Marshalltown, IA where he was raised. He graduated from Marshalltown High School, and went onto Iowa State University, followed by the University of Iowa. On August 8, 1964, he married the love of his life, Harlietta Irene Wood. The two resided in Marshalltown, where they were blessed with and raised two sons; Bradley Ray and Brian Dean. In his youth, Ray was an amateur sports car racer and avid outdoorsman. After starting a family, he passed along his love of the outdoors to his sons, going camping, hunting and fishing. He began his career at Lennox Industries in Marshalltown, where he soon got in on the ground floor of IT, before the term was widely used and they used punch cards to feed IBM computers taking up entire rooms. Ray worked in IT for multiple firms and eventually for the State of Iowa, where he retired. He and his wife Harlietta imparted a life-long ethic of public service to his sons.

Ray was a member of Grace United Methodist Church, co-founder and long-time member of the Marshalltown Morning Optimist Club, Ducks Unlimited and several Masonic organizations including Past Master, Marshall Lodge #108, Order of DeMoley and High 12.

Ray will be missed by his two sons, Brian (Nancy), of Marshalltown, and Brad, of Bellevue; two grandchildren, Stephanie (Shawn) Himes and Christopher Helland; and one brother, David (Jeanette), of Chesterfield, MO.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Harlietta, his parents, Earl and Neoma, and his sister, Marlys Hoglan.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Helland Scholarship Fund, which supports Marshalltown college-bound youth: www.desmoinesfoundation.org/HellandMemorialScholarship

Mail checks to: Community Foundation of Marshall County, 709 South Center Street, Suite 131, Marshalltown, IA 50158.