Saturday, May 10, 2025
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What can you say about your best friend of 2 decades? A man of great faith, service, charity and skill. No question! A guy who would laugh with you, at you and at himself without a doubt. A man that was there when you needed him most, you could count on that. A craftsman who accepted nothing but perfection when he worked, that’s him
He was a master mechanic that as his hands began to fail him taught me how to do repairs. He stood over me making sure that I followed his instruction perfectly. Not because he wanted to make sure I did it right but to have first row seats as he heckled me. I was his dunce pupil in the Keckeisen School of Automotive Repair where the motto was “We stand behind our brake jobs, never in front.”
Ray had a tough life and faced many aliments and injuries that would have destroyed lesser men. Even through Chemo for the cancer that would ultimately take him he relished in making the staff laugh. We always had the nurses giggling. Not easy to do under the circumstances.
We would celebrate victories and recover from losses in the same way. A Texas Road House trip for a Med Rare Prime Rib, Baked Potato that would work in either situation. Oh, by the way that was after a rack of ribs and a Blooming Onion. I will miss this time of two guys enjoying themselves and letting all else fade away for a couple of hours before facing the world once again.
He made a difference and will be missed. He put up a battle when the odds were clearly stacked against him. He fought the good fight. May he Rest in Peace in the knowledge of all he has done to help those around him.
