Richard Vaughn Helton

He was born December 20, 1934 in Stratton, Colorado to Lesta Ruth Sharp – 11/06/1902 – 03/31/1986 and Glen Leo Helton – 02/16/1898 – 08/24/1944.

He was married June 12,1960, in Canon City, Colorado to Carla Jean Silbaugh – 09/22/1942 – 02/07/2022.

Richard (known as Vaughn by family) held many interesting jobs in his youth. As a young boy in Canon City, Colorado, he and his brothers and sisters helped their widowed mother by earning money working in the fields bundling and tying radishes for Harlan Knopp. In high school, he worked for Mr. Gibbons at the Red Canon Dairy, and later worked with his brother-in-law, Floyd Wilson. After graduating from high school, Richard joined the United States Air Force and served from 1955 to 1959 as an air borne radar operator on an RC 121 – Super Constellation.

A year or so after receiving an honorable discharge from the US Air Force, Richard met and married, Carla Jean Silbaugh, in 1960 and they started a family. He took a job with a Carpenter’s Union and worked hard for six years learning the carpentry trade. In 1966 Richard applied for the Denver, Colorado Police Academy to pursue his childhood dream of becoming police officer and to serve his community. Two years later, he and his partner were answering a silent burglar alarm, when he was shot in the leg by a young suspect. Thankfully he survived, but decided for the benefit of his wife and three children, to go back into the construction business and move his family to Colorado Springs, Colorado. He and his wife eventually founded R&C Construction Company where he built residential homes for the next 18 years. After that he worked construction in California for four years and then back in Colorado until he retired at 70 years old. Retirement didn’t suit Richard so he worked in the Garden Center at Walmart for an additional five years.

In high school Richard took a woodworking class where he built a cedar hope chest. He did a great job, with the help of his brother, Bill, who did most of the sanding on it. Later in life Richard made some corner knick knack shelves for his wife and daughters copied from a corner shelf his brother, Bill, had made for their mother.

Richard loved going to the movies as a kid and he particularly enjoyed Westerns and Musicals. He and his brothers slept in a bunkhouse and he loved to tell stories at night. He would want his brothers to add to the stories but was never satisfied with their story ideas. He would tell his brothers, “No, no, no, that is not how the story should go!” and then he would proceed to provide his ending.

Richard enjoyed target shooting with his brothers and his kids. His hobby was reloading his own bullets and shotgun shells.

Richard and Carla took their kids on many vacations. They mostly liked to drive to California, stopping in Las Vegas on the way to try their luck in the casinos. Their kids spent many hours in the arcade in the Circus Circus Casino where they proceeded to play carnival games and win a car load of stuffed animals. With a family of five, including luggage and a mountain of stuffed animals, tempers would flair at times, each kid having a meltdown at some point. Laura would order strawberries in the middle of winter and would refuse to eat if she didn’t get them. Our dad would have to give her a few dollars to calm her down. Vaughn Jr ordered buckwheat pancakes, to which our dad told him he would not like them. When Vaughn Jr insisted, and then later decided he, in fact, did not like buckwheat pancakes, our dad made him eat them. The youngest, Julie, always fell asleep in the car while our dad was driving and he thought she should be awake to see all the scenery on the trip, to which Julie yelled, “I’m only 9 years old and I don’t have a driver’s license! I don’t need to stay awake!” Then there was the incident with the donuts. Our dad bought all of us a plain cake donut, so we wouldn’t get chocolate on the seats of his new station wagon. Julie, of course, wanted a chocolate donut and screamed, “A donut without chocolate is just BREAD!” Aside from the arguing and getting sick in the car, we had many fun family vacations going to the beach, Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Sea World and the San Diego Zoo.

Richard and Carla both enjoyed the few years they lived in California (1988 – 1992), going to the beaches, enjoying the poppy fields, and sneaking off to Las Vegas to try their luck in the casinos. Blackhawk, Colorado was also a favorite casino destination. Richard also enjoyed reading.

Richard was hard working as a young man and throughout his adult life, up until his final retirement when he was 75 years old. He loved building houses and working with his hands. He would have worked until he died if his body would have allowed it. He loved his “Wifey” dearly and his children and grandchildren. He had nicknames for all of his kids. He called Laura, “Lu Lu Pete from Kokomo Street. His son he called, Vonny Boy, Junior, or Junior Arbuckle. His youngest daughter he called, Julie Ann from Kokomo Stand or Jewels.

Richard loved Country and Western music. He was always singing a country song and would sometimes add people’s names into the songs he was singing. Richard was an animal lover and had several cats he took care of growing up as well as many dogs. He would talk to any animal he came across. He would say, “How ya doing boy?”

He is survived by his Children, Laura Jean Helton Page-Howell – (Ken Howell), Richard Vaughn Helton Jr. (Yvonne Helton), Julie Elaine Helton-Heiman – (Kim Bert Heiman); Grandchildren, Adam Andrew Page (Angelica Page), Richard Vaughn Helton III (Alexis Josza – fiance’), Hayley Rose Helton, Trevor Daniel Helton, Kasey Raine Helton, Joel August Heiman (Marisa Heiman), Sean Carl Heiman (who passed away 10 days after his grandpa on June 13, 2022); Great-grandchildren: Ace Page, Alice Page, Jameson Heiman, Sophie Heiman; Great-great-grandchildren: Leslie Hansen (daughter of deceased grandson, Bailey Hansen); By his siblings, William Lynn Helton, Robert Wayne Helton, Donna Kay Moschetti; Richard is survived by many nieces and nephews as well.

He was preceded on death by his Spouse – Carla Jean Silbaugh-Helton 09/22/1942 – 02/07/2022

Grandchildren – Jessica Jean Page-Hansen 11/25/1983 – 8/23/2013; Siblings,Garnett Lucille Helton-Wilson, Norval Gene Helton, Loren Glen Helton, Gerald Ross Helton, Bethel Ruth Helton-Graham, Glenda Lee Helton-Pruitt; Great-Grandson – Bailey Fox Hansen 12/23/2001 – 01/18/2022.

A memorial for Richard Helton (along with his deceased grandson, Sean Carl Heiman), will be held on Sunday, August 7, 2022, from 11:00am to 3:00pm at Olinger Andrews Caldwell Gibson Funeral Home and Chapel: 407 Jerry Street, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104

Memorial donation suggestions, Richard wished for donations in his memory, and in the memory of his grandson, Sean Heiman, go to the SLO Foundation – PO Box 10598, Fargo, ND 58106

Three words that sum up Richard Vaughn Helton: Hard working, funny and according to his high school yearbook, “They don’t make them any nicer!” (That last one might have been debatable by his younger brothers, Bill and Bob, who Richard (Vaughn) used to make them hold up tin can lids, and he would shoot the lids out of their hands with a sling shot and a rock. He was a fairly good shot and only hit his brothers’ hands occasionally.)

Things he taught his children: “If you don’t know anything by the time you’re 25 years old, you never will.” “Try to be honest and don’t cheat people.” “There ain’t no Santa Claus, so always work hard for what you want.”

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.OlingerAndrews.com for the Helton family.