Eulogy for Raymond Noel Ramsey

Floor Speech

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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. 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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