Friday, December 27, 2024
As neighbors often do, we usually caught up with Ray out in the street. Conversations with him often revolved around sports, cycling, motorcycles, or whatever auto race had been on TV the night before. Ray loved to reminisce about old Morgantown—its stores, restaurants, hometown sports heroes and history.
Ray was remarkably generous with the extra property he owned next to our house, often saying, “I’ll pay the taxes; you can use it however you’d like.” The neighborhood boys played in those woods, carving out trails to each other’s homes and building forts from fallen tree limbs. Ray even let our son set up a basketball hoop in the corner of his yard near the street - the only flat place that was available to set up a court. While it didn’t exactly enhance the aesthetics of the neighborhood, he allowed us to keep it there for years and our son took advantage of it almost every summer night.
You could always drop Ray’s name among cyclists or motorcycle enthusiasts in the area—they knew him. They’d comment respectfully about his riding skills or his impressive collection of vintage bikes depending on which camp they were in.
We’ll miss looking out the window to see Ray strolling up and down the street with his furry friends. Or sitting on the bench, ready to chat with the neighbors as they walked by. He was a good neighbor and will be missed. Our family’s thoughts and prayers are with Nancy and the family.
