He wasn’t just some odd family member who showed up for a
Hi, how are ‘ya at
Every holiday or event the family endeavored
He was the sun in our days
The get-up in our go
The blanket that was almost never put away
The point is
He was what made us
Us

Ray
Dad
Pop
Grandpa
Gramps
He made every one of us smile
At his wit and sayings
Like
“Same stuff different day”
“Bigger pile smaller spoon”
“Could be better, could be worse”
When you asked him how he was
He rarely said the standard, just good

Rocking his normal flannel
Over suspenders and a white t-shirt
And smelling like old spice
He never ceased
To be kind
Loving
And full of hugs

You always wanted to stop over
When in that neck of town
Anybody who was anybody knew him
From his various jobs
Of mostly a mechanic
To even a school bus driver

Departing that sweet little house
With the porch and
Annoying dogs next door
Always ended in hugs and
Being called
Something sweet
Like dolly for me
And waving out the car window
Until the house was a blur
Behind the other houses
That never compared to theirs;
Yellow and well-lived

Raymond R.
The best man that ever lived
Will be missed
But never forgotten
And no matter the day
Hour
Or even second
We wouldn’t hesitate
To tell you all about the
Crazy
Wonderful
Loved
Hug-filled
Lives he helped us live
With him along side us
And how lucky we were to be able to share him