Yesterday my partner's father died at age 87. Ray was an artist, an actor, a writer, a director, a drama therapist who worked with prison inmates -- and a good, loving, man who often made his many friends laugh. We will miss him.
UPDATE: I am overwhelmed by the many condolences commenters have left here. We, the family, are most grateful.
Ray was proudly culturally Jewish and an atheist by conviction, so he might have found the words of many of you odd, to say the least. I can only say, for myself, that I cleave to a hope that death carries us all to a state of being in which all the divisions we cling to seem merely amusing, all hurts are washed away, and we both thrive and rest in Infinite Joy. Seems possible.
YET ANOTHER UPDATE: Ray's obituary from the Martha's Vineyard Gazette.
23 comments:
My condolences to you both and to Ray's families. Thanks for this tribute to him. I'll write you off-blog.
He has righteous eyes.
I'm so sorry. Thank you for the picture of this man.
My sympathy to you and your partner, Jan, and to the rest of Ray's family.
May Ray rest in peace and rise in glory.
His life sounds like an epiphany - a manifestation of the glory of God. May he be bated in Light Eternal
My sympathies for you and your partner, and my prayers that God is holding Ray in the palm of his hand in eternity.
Jan, I am so sorry for your and your partner's loss!
My sympathies to you and your partner. May the love of Christ and friends enfold you all at this time.
Yes, MadPriest is right. He does have righteous eyes. Love and prayers for you and your partner from across the Bay.
I am sorry for your loss and send thoughts and prayers for healing and consolation.
I'm sorry, Jan.
The peace of Christ be with your family.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family today, and in the days to come.
Christ's Love to all of you.
May you all find comfort and peace in your memories of that lovely man.
May he rest in peace, and may light eternal shine upon him.
And may God's peace be yours.
Many prayers for you as you mourn Ray's death. He will live on in you and you will find ways of living on in his spirit.
Ha-makom yinachem eschem b'soch sha'ar availay Tzion v'Yerushalayim.
May God comfort y'all amongst all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
My sincere condolences to you all. As we say back home, "I bet he was a real pistol," and he'll be missed.
We hold both of you in our hearts.
Ronni & Betty
May Ray rest in the Space from which all great art emerges.
Peace and Love
Alice in Phoenix
May Ray rest in the Space from which all great art emerges.
Peace and Love
Alice in Phoenix
PS Pls excuse if this is a double post. I had an ambiguous word verification to figure out before
Heard many great things about Ray over the years. So glad he had you both by his side. Love and best wishes to you both
A beautiful picture, and thanks for the link to the Vineyard Gazette -- inspiring. I hope the two of you are now getting some rest (in spite of USAir).
I found out about Ray's death yesterday. (I'd noticed the lights in his room of the NY apartment had been dark for some time..so I googled and found this site) He was a funny, smart, kind and compassionate man. Condolences to his family and loved ones, especially his children and Ellinor.
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