Brighter days ahead.
Simple, engaging hidden pictures designed to provide joy and relief for those affected by dementia.
A project born out of love
A Ray of Sunshine Project
is dedicated to the memory of Ray Dahlman
Ray was a loving husband to artist and illustrator Susan for over 38 years. Susan recalls, "A blind date brought us together - a fashion illustrator at Younkers and a Maytag engineer - fun-loving, adventurous, sharing our love each and every day. And then the joys of Retirement - spending time with family, grandchildren, and friends, traveling - my first view of the ocean, New Orleans during Mardi Gras, leaving Newton. Our life together was joyful . . . we were meant to be together."
However, Ray's life took a challenging turn when he battled Alzheimer's disease. His struggle inspired Susan to create the A Ray of Sunshine Project, aimed at bringing joy to those struggling with Alzheimer's and dementia.
Drawing from her years of experience creating hidden pictures for Highlights magazine, Susan drew these simplified puzzles by hand, each with easily recognizable objects, providing a stimulating and enjoyable activity for those like Ray.
As a career Engineer, Ray was extraordinarily intelligent, with a wonderful, quick sense of humor that stayed with him even in the last stages of his dementia. Ray was a natural educator, eager to share his knowledge of everything from physics to finance. He enjoyed frequent trips to the local library and keeping an eye on the stock market.
This project continues to honor Ray's memory by brightening the lives of those affected by Alzheimer's with small moments of happiness and connection.
Ray Dahlman
1933 – 2021