I need to say this [View all]

[OLDMDDEM]

Last Wednesday, a very dear close friend of mine died. He was 77 years old. When I couldn't reach him for our Thursday call, Something was wrong. I tried calling him again on Friday, but the call went to voice mail. So I called his brother. I couldn't reach him but left a message. He called Saturday with the bad news.

Les and I have been friends for many years. He lived right across the street from us until his move to Florida several years ago. The week after dad died in 2010, he and I went for a walk after work. It was in the 90s and a typical humid Maryland June day. We walked up three blocks and turned right to walk down the street. We made it maybe 100 feet up the street when I couldn't walk anymore. I was stuck. I was talking gibberish and he sat me down on the curb and ran home to get his car to drive me back home. He got back to me, gave me a couple of aspirin, and took me home. My wife immediately called for an ambulance. The rest is history. I had a stoke the size of a golf ball.

I was lucky that day in more than one way. I lived thru this and had little impairment from the stroke. Les did what he needed to do to help me get home to get help.

He was my hero. Without him being there at that time, I might not be here today. Sounds dramatic, I know, but it's true. When he moved to Florida, we talked on the phone every week for an hour or so. We solved all the world's problems and felt satisfied to find out what else needed to be solved during the week for our next conversation.

I will miss him as he was a very dear friend. I will never forget him.

RIP, Les.