Today my friend Ray died. He has been in a Home with Dementia for a while now but he caught Covid19 and he could take no more. Our thoughts are with his family and especially Diane his wife. She has had so much to deal with over the past few years as his dementia grew worse. I understand she was at the Care Home when he died.
I first met Ray when I joined his class at South Borough School 60 years ago. Along with his close friends Dave and Roger, we were the perfect pretend Mods on our Lambrettas and Vespas in the 1960s. Around that time a group of us went to Spain a couple of times. Since then we have kept in touch and met up with Ray and his wife Diane on many occasions for get togethers and dinner parties. We had a great time when they joined us at the villa when we were there with Dave and Anne. Rather a lot of cheap wine consumed if I remember correctly.
I visited him just once when he was at the Care home and his dementia was well advanced and he had no recognition or speech. It was so sad to see him like that. As a very vulnerable person when Covid19 struck it was all too much for him. Ray was just one day older than me. We used to joke about reminding each other when our birthdays were due.
I heard of Ray’s passing just after my first lake swim this year. I can’t help but reflect on how lucky I have been that I am able to keep active.
