I had the great fortune of sitting across from Ray while I worked at Workforce. He was a quiet, gentle man when I first met him. Once we got to know each other, that changed. Oh, boy did that change! Not the kind and gentle part – just the quiet part. Ha! Ray was a very passionate man, about so many things – his work, his books, his politics, his war stories……and, of course, his very dear friend Tina. Sitting near to Ray meant that I could watch his playful reaction to John Young’s humor, too. There was always laughter in our area, with John and Ray bantering back and forth every day. It was fun to listen to.
I left Workforce in January, 2013. That signaled the beginning of a closer friendship with Ray. We became movie buddies. I remember the last movie we went to was not Ray’s cup of tea, but he loved going to movies, so he didn't care. We exchanged daily emails, where his inordinate intelligence and humor shined. Often I would have to ask him what a word meant, as I had never heard of it before. He sent pictures of animals early every morning. My new co-workers got hooked on them and really miss that now….
During our conversations outside of work, I would just sit and listen to Ray tell a story. His love for reading took him to a world few of us will ever experience. As a result, he was a truly amazing story-teller. He remembered every little detail because every little detail was important to him.
Ray had a work ethic that meant if you don’t feel well, you come to work. When you are at work you do your job, but you try to find better ways of doing it. When you are at work you help your co-workers find solutions to problems. You water their plants. You put desserts on their desks when they are off doing something else because you know they love sweets! You always ask them how they are doing when you know they have been struggling with something.
Ray cared so deeply for people. Being quiet by nature, I doubt that many of you ever knew how much you meant to him. He would do anything for others that he could – that’s why he came to work every day. You were his family and he loved you!
I miss you so much, Ray. But I know you are in a better place and that we’ll meet up again one day. In the meantime, just keep reading. I’m looking forward to more of your amazing stories....