Rheumatic Fever brought to an end the army and the newspaper career of Ray Ollestad.

Raymond A. Ollestad was born in Alameda County, California, on August 28, 1921, to Mr. and Mrs. August Ollestad. Ray spent his formative years in the family home on Broadway Avenue in Santa Cruz with his parents and sister Wilma. In January 1938 he entered Santa Cruz High School and took a general and varied course of instruction. While in high school, Ollestad also reported sporting events for the Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper. After graduating in February 1942, he worked on the Sentinel sports desk.

Ollestad was inducted into the US Army on December 2, 1942. Because of his Norwegian language proficiency he was assigned to a special Norwegian Mountain Infantry unit of the US Army's 99th Infantry Division. After basic training, he was sent to Camp Hale, Colorado, where he received specialized ski instruction. At that location he also edited The Viking, the battalion’s newspaper.

In early 1943 Ollestad contracted a severe case of rheumatic fever that required hospitalization at the Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver, Colorado. After seven months of treatment, he failed to regain his strength and was given a medical discharge.

Upon returning home, the San Francisco News hired him as a reporter, but his employment was short lived. The symptoms of rheumatic fever reappeared, his health began deteriorating and on July 12, 1945, former Private First Class Ray Ollestad died at Ft. Miley Hospital in San Francisco. Following a military funeral by the American Legion, he was buried at Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery in Santa Cruz.

(NARA2; SCHSC Pg. 15; SCSn July 13, 1945 1:1)