Charlotte was devoted to Wilbur her whole life. At the end of the book, Wilbur pledges to treasure her friendship, her loyalty, and her memory. He has spent the whole of winter mourning her death and protecting her egg sac. Her children. Wilbur learned about devotion and selflessness from Charlotte. Now, he must carry on her legacy.
On this Thanksgiving, I was planning to write a traditional Thanksgiving post, reflecting on all the blessings in my life. However, as I opened my laptop, I found several e-mails waiting for me. They contained very sad news. Ray Ventre, the Head of the English Department and a good friend of more than 25 years, passed away yesterday.
Very few things leave me speechless. This news does. Ray was, very simply, one of the best people I've ever known. Always joking, he was a joy to be around all the time. He was compassionate, fair, honest, faith-filled, hard-working, and loyal. I knew that he'd been struggling with health issues for some time, but the news of his death still hit me like...Like when a tornado rips through a neighborhood and levels everything. Nothing left standing. That's it. Absolute devastation.
He leaves behind two beautiful daughters and a whole lot of people whose lives he touched and changed in profound ways. There will never be a more dedicated department head, teacher, mentor, and friend like him. Ray was one of a kind.
Ray and I shared the same birthday. October 5. Every year, we had a competition to see who could find the funniest cards. Most years, he won. This year, however, I found a card that made him laugh so hard that he cried. I saw him in the hall of the English Department a couple of days later, and he just shook his head and said, "You win this year."
That's the way Saint Marty will choose to remember his friend, Ray Ventre, this Thanksgiving. Laughing himself to tears.
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| Godspeed, my friend |
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