His accomplishments were something I dreamed about but never matched, and remain something I look upon with deep respect. He was an amazing athlete and carried his abilities with modesty and grace. He joined Cycle Oregon and rode around the state well into his late 70s. His social skills broadened my world and introduced me to people and places I never would have known about.Īn avid bicyclist, Ray took me to unfamiliar biking trails that have since become my favorite places to ride. That was only the first time, over subsequent years, Ray told riveting stories of furnace fires, disappearing bar patrons, firearm mishaps, overseas travels, small town recollections, and prisoner custody stories.ĭuring our own adventures, Ray proved to be a gifted conversationalist, able to connect with random strangers in ways that I admired and came to emulate. The story was falling down hilarious when he told it the first time and has been a humorous memory many times since. The first time we met, during a weekend at a small cabin in the Columbia Gorge, Ray regaled us with his boyhood adventures at a horse riding camp. In the years that Ray and I were friends, he has proven to be an inspiration, a nimble and well informed debate partner, an adventures mate, and a lot of laughs.
I regret your loss, I regret your sorrow, pain, and emptiness.Live for him, through him, and with him ,he's not here but he's not gone.He's around.I wish for all of you a sense of calm. My Mother's brother Pat,I will hear his laugh for always.When I think of Uncle Pat I think about Family, that is what mattered most to him and what he was best at his immediate family.The original bunch Harry ,Dot and the 5 kids Dee,Barbara,Sonny,Pat and Mike had always been a unique and interesting family, many of us saw each other very seldom if at all outside the immediate bunch but that being said, know who we are and stand close together with the love and respect for our family.I treasure the stories I hold from mom all the way back to Ginny,I treasure the moments shared and the memories I have.I remember they lived and did the best they could with the time allowed.It seems fishing and painting,family, and Shelley mostly come to mind when I think of Uncle Pat.The sorrow is always with us it never can be comforted we just come to accept the things that we cannot change.There are no words deep enough, strong enough, or correct enough to convey how huge a void this is and that I understand and feel this with you it surfaces many memories and people. If I had known in time, I would have been there at your dad's service. Ed racing outside at night in his bathrobe to rescue Cindy when she tangled with a raccoon (he actually grabbed the raccoon and flung it across the yard!) He really loved those dogs!ĭebbie, it meant so much to us that you and Ed came to my mom's funeral. Ed carrying puppy Mindy around in his shirt pocket. The memories that make me smile the most: Ed and his beloved Chihuahuas. If I remember rightly, Ed drove a Mustang in the 60's? My dad and Ed took turns, week by week, patiently driving us kids to school in the mornings. We attended the same church, and Debbie and I were in the same class in school.
My memories of Ed are from childhood, when we lived directly behind the Doells on the same block in North Portland. As a child it never occurred to me to ask. It truly feels like the end of an era! I never knew he had served overseas in WWII.
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