Since I started working again, I've been remiss about posting here.
First, the death of my good friend Jim Raley.
My good friend Jim Raley passed away on October 17 of last year - (has it really been that long??).
Friend, teammate, father, son, sibling.
He was kind, thoughtful, loyal, responsible, capable, strong, resilient, talented, and he was loved.
He was also tough, but you might never know that because he was never a bully, or even boastful – it was a quiet toughness.
Most of all, he had integrity.
As many who knew him know, Jim beat cancer about 20 years ago; he didn’t just beat it… he kicked its butt.
Around that time, maybe a bit before, he said something to me. I think he was considering the possibility of his mortality, and wanted to say things to some of the people in his life. For no good reason, he told me that he respected me.
I’ve never forgotten that, that a man like Jim would respect me. I was honored.
But more than that, it was an honor to have known Jim for so long – since he was 18…
Jim, I hope you’re resting easy, and may God be with you.
I’ll never forget you.
https://www.barkerfh.com/obituary/JamesJim-Raley
Some photos:
