Andrea asked me to share the words I spoke at Rays memorial service. ♡ P.S. Andrea Trusty - I edited the typos. ;) Hello. I’m Arlene and I’ve been friends with Ray and Diane for a very long time. My husband Dale and Ray have been best friends since they were teenagers and in their youth they began calling each other the Lude. Not long after I met Dale about 20 years ago, I went to one of his garage band/backyard parties. Shortly after I arrived he told me he wanted to introduce me to two of his friends The Lude and Diane. And I thought The Lude, Huh? And he said The Lude, Ray, my best friend. And.... he introduced us. I can honestly say that from the moment we met we became friends and it is a friendship that has lasted and grown stronger and stronger throughout the years. We never know what’s going to happen on the roads that our lives take us. We never know if the people we meet will be an acquaintance, a friend or if they will become something even more. I thank God that the path he led me on brought me to Dale who I love completely, and on that path he intertwined my life with two of the most beautiful people I am honored to call my friends. Now, Ray always called me GIRL.... Girl, what are you doing? Girl, are you ready yet? Girl, what do you have to drink around this place? And that goes along with a memory....one of my favorite memories of Ray is a sentimental one. Not long after my son Ryan who is almost 9 years old was born, Ray and Diane were over and we were sitting in our backyard, Ray was holding Ryan. I got down on the ground in front of Ray and knelt next to his chair and I asked him would it be okay as Ryan grows up for him to call you Uncle Ray? .... Ray smiled that huge Ray smile and said GIRL, of course he can call me Uncle Ray, what else would he call me? He’s my little Lude. Little did I know that day at Dales party that the mysterious Lude person and his wife Diane would become such an important part of my life. Little did I know that years later we would also ask Ray to be Ryan’s Godfather. Thats how much he means to me. For the last several days I’ve been trying to find the words to adequately express the love that I feel for Ray Krueger, and I found that I can not, because the love I have for him is so deep. But I would like to say to Diane and Laura and the families, that Ray was loved by many. That Dale, Ryan and I loved everything about him. His loving heart, his caring personality, his giving spirit, his kind soul, his endless jokes that he would tell over and over and over again, and that we saw the raw beauty within him and are eternally grateful that he was and will always be a part of our lives. And while I’m saddened that Rays life was cut to short, I thank God for the 20 years that we walked side by side as friends. And that fate and a simple introduction brought our lives together. I am eternally grateful. My promise is that Dale and I will keep Rays memory alive for Ryan and that he will always know how much his Uncle Ray loves him. And I promise, Ray........that Dale and I will be there for Diane and that well do all that we can to comfort her. I promise Ray, to be there for your Lude, Dale, and to listen to a CUBS game with him from time to time. Im really going to miss the messages you would leave on the answering machine..... Luuudeeee, Ludddeeee, pick up the phone. Luuudeee, where you at man? Luuddeeeee the Cubbies are playin......Luudeeeeeee.... I promise, Ray, that when RUSH comes on the radio (I really dont like RUSH).... but, I promise that instead of shutting it off, that I will listen to the whole song and think of you and smile. I promise to cheer for the BEARS when they play against the PACKERS. I promise to always remember to use RIGHTY TIGHTY LEFT LUCY...........(Ray taught me that important lesson)......and most of all Ray, I promise to never let go of all the love that I feel for you. I love you Ray. May you rest in Peace my friend, and know that you are loved entirely for all of the wonderful things that made you unique. I will miss you for the rest of my life and I am so thankful for all of the years that you walked beside me. I love you....
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 02:17:28 +0000
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