A Hero Becomes An Angel
A Hero Becomes An Angel
I know I should have done this post a few days ago but I just couldnt find the right words. It pains me to type this out but I have to do it. Not that its a chore but its an honor to do so. A man that I truely cherished has left us. It saddens me deeply.
His name was Raymond Wormuth. I usually dont give real names in my posts but this one deserves to be remembered. He once served in the Navy during World War 2. He was a man of honor and love. He loved his friends and family and he especially loved a little girl that called him Uncle Ray. Although he wasnt a blood relative, he was still Uncle Ray to us. He told us stories and we always had alot of fun. He was quick with a joke and made everyone smile and laugh.
Ray was someone that loved nature and the outdoors. His gardens were wonderful. Not only fruits and vegetables, but he had all sorts of flowers, trees and bushes that he cared for with a gentle hand. He had a home in NY as well as one in Florida. The one in Florida was absolutely amazing with all the plants he had around it. He tended to the wildlife as well. Always filling feeders and hand feeding what ever animal or bird roamed to his yard.
At the camp, he would visit with friends and always chatted for hours. He would stop by every morning for coffee and if you needed something, he always shared what he had. The only time he was inside was to watch the car races on tv. He always had something special for Cami and when it was her birthday, he went all out for her. Not so much in gifts, but with love.
Every year he came up with his wife from Florida a couple of weeks after my mom. They prefered it to be a little warmer when they arrived. In the past couple of years, his health started to fail. He had diabeties but he cared for it well. As strange as it sounds, I never knew his true age. He didnt look or act like an old man. He really wasnt an old man. He was active and healthy. But things started to catch up with him.
Cami always looked forward to when he would arrive. We would go there that weekend and she would spend her whole time there helping him unpack or plant something. They went on rides in his cart and sat by the lake. He would tell her stories and silly jokes. He would teach her things about what is happening around them. He would tell stories about the shuttles going up in Florida and about the fish in the ocean there. Up until a couple of years ago, he had a little dog named Rocky that followed him everywhere. So the three of them would take walks.
This year was a little different. With his failing health, the house in Florida was sold. They were going to sell the camper this summer and set up a small home nearby.
They came up on a Monday. On Tuesday he went to the bathroom and passed out. Apparently he died there on the floor. His neice is an EMS and she was in the park that day and was able to revive him. He was rushed to the hospital where he was put on life support. On Wed night, he passed away.
I found out about this that night. Im thinking to myself, how do I tell Cam? I was going to wait until Sat when we went and that way we would be there with my mom and that would help me out alot. Didnt quite happen that way. On Friday we went on a field trip and on the way home, she mentioned about going to see Ray the next day. I couldnt lie to her. I explainedit as gently as I could and she cried a little. She waited til the day was over and we talked more about it after we got home.
I would have liked to have taken her to the main funeral though. He received full military honors. It would have been nice to let her see for herself what a true hero he was to everyone. But the real hero lives in her heart.
I know I should have done this post a few days ago but I just couldnt find the right words. It pains me to type this out but I have to do it. Not that its a chore but its an honor to do so. A man that I truely cherished has left us. It saddens me deeply.
His name was Raymond Wormuth. I usually dont give real names in my posts but this one deserves to be remembered. He once served in the Navy during World War 2. He was a man of honor and love. He loved his friends and family and he especially loved a little girl that called him Uncle Ray. Although he wasnt a blood relative, he was still Uncle Ray to us. He told us stories and we always had alot of fun. He was quick with a joke and made everyone smile and laugh.
Ray was someone that loved nature and the outdoors. His gardens were wonderful. Not only fruits and vegetables, but he had all sorts of flowers, trees and bushes that he cared for with a gentle hand. He had a home in NY as well as one in Florida. The one in Florida was absolutely amazing with all the plants he had around it. He tended to the wildlife as well. Always filling feeders and hand feeding what ever animal or bird roamed to his yard.
At the camp, he would visit with friends and always chatted for hours. He would stop by every morning for coffee and if you needed something, he always shared what he had. The only time he was inside was to watch the car races on tv. He always had something special for Cami and when it was her birthday, he went all out for her. Not so much in gifts, but with love.
Every year he came up with his wife from Florida a couple of weeks after my mom. They prefered it to be a little warmer when they arrived. In the past couple of years, his health started to fail. He had diabeties but he cared for it well. As strange as it sounds, I never knew his true age. He didnt look or act like an old man. He really wasnt an old man. He was active and healthy. But things started to catch up with him.
Cami always looked forward to when he would arrive. We would go there that weekend and she would spend her whole time there helping him unpack or plant something. They went on rides in his cart and sat by the lake. He would tell her stories and silly jokes. He would teach her things about what is happening around them. He would tell stories about the shuttles going up in Florida and about the fish in the ocean there. Up until a couple of years ago, he had a little dog named Rocky that followed him everywhere. So the three of them would take walks.
This year was a little different. With his failing health, the house in Florida was sold. They were going to sell the camper this summer and set up a small home nearby.
They came up on a Monday. On Tuesday he went to the bathroom and passed out. Apparently he died there on the floor. His neice is an EMS and she was in the park that day and was able to revive him. He was rushed to the hospital where he was put on life support. On Wed night, he passed away.
I found out about this that night. Im thinking to myself, how do I tell Cam? I was going to wait until Sat when we went and that way we would be there with my mom and that would help me out alot. Didnt quite happen that way. On Friday we went on a field trip and on the way home, she mentioned about going to see Ray the next day. I couldnt lie to her. I explainedit as gently as I could and she cried a little. She waited til the day was over and we talked more about it after we got home.
I would have liked to have taken her to the main funeral though. He received full military honors. It would have been nice to let her see for herself what a true hero he was to everyone. But the real hero lives in her heart.
posted by BC at
9:33 PM
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