Carl Hanford Helland

Born in Rolland, Iowa in 1923, Carl and his parents moved to California in a Model T when he was just 5 years old. After high school, Carl joined the Amy to serve our country as a pilot during WWII. Before completing the flight program, Carl was discharged from the Army to return home to care for his ailing father, as he was an only child. Once his father's health stabilized, Carl rejoined the Army, but alas there was no more room for him to resume his flight training. Carl served as an airplane mechanic, working on P-51 airplanes, his desire to fly unfulfilled. Upon return stateside after his military service was complete, Carl took up work as a machinist and resumed his education at Fullerton Junior College. In 1948, while a student there, Carl was set up on a blind date with his friend's cousin, and the rest, as they say, was history. After a brief courtship, Carl and Betty Jeanne were soon married. Carl finished his education and pursued a career as a high school metal shop teacher. As Betty Jeanne was an elementary school teacher herself, they were able to spend their summers together. In 1965, the couple bought a motor home (uncommon in that era!) and toured the country on a sabbatical with their two children, Patrice and David. When Carl and Betty Jeanne retired in 1978, they moved from their home in Palos Verdes, California to Marysville, Washington. During their first few years there, they lived in the motor home while Carl designed and built their dream home, overlooking the beautiful Tulalip Bay in Puget Sound. Carl's plans for their house included a machine shop with dimensions perfectly suited for the second love of his life (after BJ, of course!)...his custom built experimental airplane. After decades of harboring his unfulfilled passion for flight, Carl finally learned to fly. First, he flew in a small Piper Cherokee plane. Later, it was in his own RV-6A plane. Carl would fly every chance he got, in between busy evenings with church choir, square dancing, and world travel to Australia and Hawaii. During those years, Carl and Betty Jeanne frequently visited Colorado, where Patrice lived with her husband Gordon, and their three children, Christina, Jonathan and Justin, and Anaheim, California, where they would enjoy spending time with their son David. Each of the grandkids would come up for their own week (alone!) with Grandma and Gramps, visiting all the local sights. In 2004, Carl and Betty Jeanne moved to Highlands Ranch, Colorado, close to their daughter and grandchildren. In 2007, they moved to Wind Crest, and immediately settled in with the loving and fun community. The couple loved dinners with friends in the dining hall, movie nights, and the proximity to their family. On May 20th, 2008, Betty Jeanne passed away unexpectedly, just shy of their 60th anniversary. Carl grieved the tremendous loss of his best friend, yet received great strength from the Wind Crest family. He joined the Neighborhood Club at Wind Crest, where he met his dear friend, Nancy Elder. In 2011, Carl became the first resident of Aspen House, Wind Crest's first assisted living community. Last year, Carl (now ""Great-Gramps"") moved to Mill Vista Lodge, where he enjoyed joking around with the other residents and staff. Carl passed away peacefully on October 11th, 2014. He is survived by his children (Patrice and David), his grandchildren (Christina, Jonathan (and wife Jennifer) and Justin), and his great-grandchildren (Elizabeth and Christopher). Please share your memories of Carl and condolences with his family by signing the guestbook below.