Helen Rayfield

In life always treat others as you would like to be treated. Then you will have happiness and peace in your life and in the hereafter – God Bless.

Helen Rayfield was born in 1940 in Cleveland, Ohio, the oldest of three, but lived some of her formative years in Birds Creek, Sevier County, Tennessee. As a toddler, she crossed Birds Creek to be with friends. She fell in one day and wouldn’t be with us today except that she was fished out by someone who saw it happen.

When her father returned from WWII her family moved to Leavenworth, WA where they had briefly lived before he served in the army.

Helen grew up, attended school and worked in Leavenworth the rest of her childhood. She briefly left to attend Central Washington University for a year. She also lived in Ellensburg after marrying Chuck Darlington while he attended college. They briefly lived in Canada but most of her life has been lived in Leavenworth.

Helen’s family stressed hard work and she lived by that ethic by picking fruit, packing fruit in warehouses, working as a waitress in many of the local restaurants, and owning The Big Y restaurant for 25 years. Helen and her good friend, Kay Scammehorn, owned it together for many years. Helen recalls those days as one of mentorship to the many high schoolers who worked in the restaurant. She was a second mom to many kids. Helen has three children, Doug, Danny and Debbie Darlington. All of them helped at the Big Y in some capacity and all have successful lives of their own.

In 1994 Helen was Royal Lady of Leavenworth and the Washington Autumn Leaf Festival. Presently she is on the boards of Cascade Medical Center and Cascade Medical Center Foundation. Helen is well known throughout the community for her support of families, friends and anyone in need of a helpful hand.