Another Friend

[Lotsokids]

So just this year, death took my mom and 2 friends. The last one was just last Saturday returning from a business trip 9 hours away. He was only 10 minutes from arriving home when his car went off the road and he died instantly. No other details as they are investigating. Straight stretch of road, just went off the road and rolled.

I worked beside him on aircraft for the last 16 years, 9 of those were in the U.S. Air Force where we retired the same year.

Our Monday morning meeting was horrible. Just silent. Manager couldn't say anything and had to leave for a couple minutes. He's the one who had to call his parents to tell them their son died. He said not many things are harder than that.

It's been tough.

 

[marsmax85]

Sorry to hear this may he rest in peace ..

 

[ga_max]

Sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[CaptainKyle]

Sorry for your loss !

 

[sdt354]

My condolences.

 

[Specs95t]

Condolences to you...

Had a similar few weeks here, three coworkers lost an Aunt, a Mom and a Dad...

Some say it happens in three's...

 

[Redbone]

Condolences, hard to recover from these sad events. Be well brother!

 

[VMAXXIMUM]

I lost a good friend a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't unexpected but no less difficult. God Bless you. The hardest part of living are the one's we loose.

Christian

 

[poppop]

Seems like every-time i turn around another one is gone.So very sorry,God bless.

 

[Lotsokids]

It appears that speed and alcohol were a factor.
An accident is one thing... but this is completely preventable.
He wasn't a young punk, either. He was 46 years old, retired US Air Force, and should have been much wiser than that.

That sucks.

 

[Lotsokids]

Miss you, buddy.

 

[Fire-medic]

Yes, a shame when speed and alcohol contribute to the death, as you said, these things are preventable if you are moderate in your driving/consumption habits. Since you both shared a common workspace, the death would be something that would have impacted you daily if you were still working.

I got a call last night from one of my fellow (retired) fire/rescue co-workers, he was my shift officer when I first got on back when there was a new guy in rock & roll, he was from NJ and had just released "Greetings from Asbury Park," and our future Nobel Literature winner had just released, "Blood on the Tracks." Anyway, our co-worker who had been ill w/cancer just died, and my friend was calling me to inform me about the event. The deceased guy was pretty-sharp, he was a G.C. when he wasn't at the fire dept. We called him, "Will-Build," and anyone in the trades should be familiar w/that expression.

I'm at the age when people start to die more-frequently, some never make it to retirement age. I also just got notice of a former h.s. classmate who died, he was a year ahead of me, and we were on the soccer team together. His sister was in my year, and he was fiercely-protective of her well-being. He died of cancer, and the video of his life had a 'biker' focus, as he was a H-D rider, and there were plenty of pics of his friends from motorcycling. The pics I enjoyed the most were pics of him holding his son when the son was an infant, dad wearing his biker regalia, and then a few shots of his son, now an adult, and also a motorcyclist, with his proud father. They were from western NY, by Lake Ontario.

I wouldn't say, "live every day as-if it's your last," but as others have said, tell your loved ones every day that they are always in your thoughts, and how you care for them, you never know when the Grim Reaper will harvest another life.