In many ways, Ray and JoAnn Helstrom lived the quintessential Huntsville love story.
Army employee meets government contractor, they fall in love, go on fairytale adventures, then spend their golden years in the home of Redstone Arsenal.
That’s pretty much how it happened for the Helstroms.
Ray met JoAnn in 1983 at the U.S. Army Test Range on Kwajalein Island. She was stationed there working for the U.S. Army Missile Command at Redstone, and he was a contractor from California.
It was love from the get-go, and Ray ended up retiring from business and marrying JoAnn. It was the second marriage for both, and they ended up staying on Kwajelein together for 11 years.
Often a place where government workers from Huntsville are separated from loved ones while they do the Army’s work, Ray and JoAnn got to live out their romance in a Pacific paradise.
They used their far-flung home as a base to travel the world, then when JoAnn retired, they came back to Huntsville and settled into a loving, active life.
“Who has a life like that? Nobody,” said Ray, now 91, said.
As happy as they were, Ray was equally devastated when JoAnn was diagnosed in ovarian cancer.
When JoAnn lost her bravely fought battle in 2009 at age 84, grief threatened to overtake Ray.
Rather than wallow in the sadness, he decided to rejoice in the memories. For six years, he spent time daily writing down his recollections of the life and love he and JoAnn had built together.
Over the years, the anecdotes became quite a collection. A cousin suggested he share them with others, and so he published a book.
“From the Collection: JoAnn” is Helstrom’s memoir of sorts, a love story about his life with his wife, “a testament to a coveted treasured time.” More than that, it’s a lesson for those who are dealing with the loss of a loved one.
The book’s lengthy subtitle helps explain: “A Tribute Dedication to All Who Hope and Dream, Have Lived and Felt the Loss and Fully Appreciate, and, the Many Who May Want to Believe in Love.”
Ray Helstrom published a book of his memories of his wife, JoAnn.
For Ray, writing the book was therapy. But he believes it can also help those who are in hospice care, as JoAnn was at the end.
“The exact same thing that’s happened with JoAnn, they’re going through,” he said.
Even when death was imminent, she maintained a positive outlook, often cheering up those who came to visit her sickbed, Ray said.
His purpose in writing the book was to comfort himself. He hopes that it can now comfort and inspire others.
“The book doesn’t end happily, but I like to think of it about a great, great happy book about JoAnn,” Ray said.
Want to read it? The “The Collection: JoAnn” will be available at Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million, or by visiting http://bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com/from-the-collection-joann/. Nonprofits and schools receive a 20% discount.
Shelly Haskins writes about points of pride statewide. Email your suggestions to shaskins@al.com, or tweet them to @Shelly_Haskins using #AlabamaProud.
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