[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 42 (Friday, March 8, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E229-E230]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EULOGY FOR RAYMOND NOEL RAMSEY
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HON. JOHN B. LARSON
of connecticut
in the house of representatives
Friday, March 8, 2024
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to include in
the Record the eulogy of a great American, Raymond Noel Ramsey, who
epitomized what a citizen who gives back to his community, state, and
Nation is all about.
On behalf of Peg, Noele, Kelly, Melanie. and the entire
Ramsey family, thank you for being here for Ray. How about
that obituary and the prayer card! Ever the fashion
statement, wasn't he, with those bright pastels and those
shirts, that were a reflection of his personality. Yesterday
was quite an afternoon and quite a tribute. It was good to
see old East Hartford on display--the outpour of love and
respect for a man who lived it.
Now we know he had a great reception committee up there
with Billy Mud, Fred Kurtz, Fred Leone, and Jimmy Deleo
singing--I'm sure--as he entered the gates of Heaven. As Ray
would often remind the faint of heart, life is not a dress
rehearsal. He embodied both the right attitude and the
appetite for a life well lived.
Talking with several of you at the wake, and over the past
few days, about stories of Ray and what he would want this
service to be--Father, I have to start with a disclaimer
here--Craig Jordan, Kevin Brown, and numerous others want to
be clear that the funniest Rammer stories are not suitable
for church or in mixed company. I think it's safe to say he
was a guy's guy.
It was abundantly clear from all, that he would want an
upbeat sendoff on his next journey. First and foremost, and
most of all, the shared empathy, respect, and love for Peg
and his three angels, Noele, Kelly and Melanie. At the wake
it was hard viewing and watching them hold back the tears,
the grieving and the mourning and with each person. A memory
of a man whose actions were bigger than life, knowing even in
this difficult moment, what Ray would want is to celebrate
his journey and the relationships he shared with all of you.
I know I'm stating the obvious, as so many of you have spoken
of his lifelong love and relationship with Peg. Many of you
have attested that they were the quintessential couple. They
simply go together well, Ray and Peg. Peg and Ray. No
gathering was complete without them--and you talk about
opposites! Yet there was a greater bond that held them
together, certainly Noele, Kelly, and Melanie, but it was
their great faith and devotion to each other that always
resonated.
Many of you said Ray was always there for you, no matter
how trivial or important. How many of you can recall being
with Ray into the wee hours of the morning, partaking in the
elixirs of life and thinking--as I have--there's no way after
this that he gets up and takes Peg to mass in the morning--
only to be astonished again by him being there for her and
their faith, dependable and rock solid. That's love and
devotion. That's Ray and Peg.
Comradery is a great term about a gathering of friends, and
as Nick Olivia pointed out, with Ray, those gatherings were
always punctuated by having fun and enjoying one another's
company, whether at the Hose Club, the Dirty Dozen, the F&L
Dinners, or innumerable political events, Ray and a good time
were synonymous. He was always a doer, never a complainer and
put everyone else first. His last trip to Ireland is an epic
example. A trip he had planned for some time with Nick and
Vita, Bruce and Wendy, and he and Peg. As Bruce recalls,
weeks before, he had terrible and severe back pain and was
not feeling well, but would not let his health stand in the
way of a great trip with friends. While I'm sure the Guiness
helped, everyone knew he was in pain, but he did it because
of who he was and the people he cared about. That's Ray.
As my brother Danny says, having worked with Ray on
building the house--and you heard Father say how he did it
with his own hands--Ray had many skills, among his
specialties was electrical, with a minor in procurement. If
we needed hardware: nuts, bolts, nails, screws, blades, zip
ties, gloves, paint, or whatever, Ray always managed to come
up with a donor and keep us going. My brother went on to
describe his essence, saying what I believe everyone in this
room agrees with. He was the most dependable friend you could
have. First one on the site, and there till the end, and the
job was done. He had a broad base knowledge and a hands-on
versatility of all of the trades. Nothing that he couldn't
figure out with an occasional break for a Marlboro or two.
His heart was bigger than himself, it's as if he was made to
help everyone else. He was practical and direct and always
with an informed view.
Now, most here assembled know Ray was the master of the
power nap. From which virtually in any environment he could
fall into a deep sleep, and awake and rally.
[[Page E230]]
Danny Delmastro, of course, cites the best example of his
capability at the annual Aero Med Christmas Party, when about
three-quarters the way through a great evening, Rammer says
to Danny he's going to ``step outside for a smoke.'' Danny
looks at him and says ``it's snowing,'' Ray just nodded and
about an hour later with the place closing down and everyone
looking for Ray, Danny went outside and found him on a bench
with about three inches of snow on his head and his shoulders
and said, ``Rammer!'' And Ray responded without missing a
beat that ``yes, I'll have a final final.'' That was our guy.
He clearly is a giant of a man, Jim Iacobellis noted that.
He said he had a giant talent. He could do anything he put
his mind to. He had giant knowledge. He knew so much about so
much, and if he didn't, he'd ask and inquire until he did. He
had a giant personality--the life and center of any
gathering, you always wanted to be around him and talk to
him. He was a giant friend. He had so many, and he knew them,
he knew what they liked, and knew what made them happy or
unhappy. He was also the first to accept new people and
become friends, as he did so with Jim more than 30 years ago
when he was the new kid on the block.
Now, we have a Bocce tournament and a gathering and have
done so for 32 years, and whether it's tents, limoncello,
garbanzo and hot peppers, you know, and of course, grilling
that sausage, it was Ray. And as Linda and Leslie attest and
verify and everyone agrees--without Ray, there would never
have been a Bocce. He was the essential part and mover.
I think it's safe to say that the way he lived his life and
in talking with David McQuaid, I said, ``David, he had a
great run.'' And David looked at me and says ``A run? He had
several runs.'' In short, Ray was authentic and original
without a phony bone in his body, dependable as the day was
long. He was always there for everyone and in so many
different capacities.
In this human comedy we call life, his skills, his
curiosity, his inquisitive and honest and practical advice
will be what I miss the most. He was the real deal. He was
the Rammer.
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