Richard "Dick" Helser March 23, 1932 - October 18, 2017

Richard C. Helser passed away at his home while being comforted by his loving daughter Berit and secondary caregiver Cassie. He was 85 at the time of his death.

Born and raised in the Portland area, Dick attended Highland Elementary School before graduating from Jefferson High School.

Soon after graduating he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, and was deployed into the early 1950s Korean conflict.

After three years of military service, he attended Oregon State University for several terms before entering the job market.

Dick soon married a lovely bride and they began their family with a daughter (Berit) in 1959 and then a son (Max) in 1961.

Having worked for Drew Engineering early in his career, he moved on to join the drafting department at the Ted Nelson Company.

Dick's driving ambition allowed him to rise quickly within the organization.

Having become a partner/shareholder during the late '70s, he went on to become the sole owner by the mid-'80s.

In 1987, he eagerly took on the daunting task of having a new 126,000-square-foot manufacturing facility built in the town of Tualatin. In 1990, he proudly changed his company's name to Helser Industries. With the assistance of a talented staff and knowledgeable craftsmen, his company maintained a strong presence in its marketplace, as it still remains today.

In 1987, Dick married again, to Kathie Fought Hoyt. She introduced him to the beauty of Central Oregon, specifically the town of Sisters. Dick quickly grew fond of the area, and upon retiring in 2002, called it home. Fitness being in the forefront of Dick's interests, he went from working out at, to becoming the owner of, Sisters' Cascade Fitness facility.

Sadly, in June of 2016, Dick lost his wife Kathie to a tragic accident. Since that event, he had resided in Tigard with his daughter.

He was predeceased by his wife, Kathie. He is survived by his brother, Walter (partner Jeanne); sister, Diane Phillips (husband Richard); daughter, Berit Pement (husband Michael); son, Max; grandchildren, Jacob Medina (wife Carrie) and Danica McCulley (husband Ian); great-grandsons, Colin & Alex; step-children, Tyler Hoyt (wife Meredith) and Chelsie Gloeckner (husband John); step-grandchildren, Willa and West and Lola and Hadley.

A Celebration of Life event will be held at 4 p.m., Saturday, November 4, in the Crowne Plaza Hotel's ballroom, located at 14811 Kruse Oaks Drive, Lake Oswego; 503-624-8400, http://www.cplakeoswego.com.

If desired, donations in his memory, may be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation (alzfdn.org).