Posted on 06/28/2019 1:37:33 PM PDT by fhayek
I have a friend. More like a brother really. Larger than life, he was a true a friend, as fine a man and as thoroughly an American as any you will ever find. Hard working, hard drinking (sometimes), he loved his family, and his neighbors.
We had a family business, and Rick worked for us. But he was more, much more than that. He got me out of scrapes at times, and he could rip me a new one, if it was warranted. Overall, he believed in doing an honest days work for an honest day's wages. He worked hard, knew a little about a lot, and boy, could he whip out the words. He had a sense of humor, homespun, that was second to none. He could weave a story that would literally leave you in pain from laughing.
He was a great man, in every sense of the word, and for some reason, he took his life yesterday. If you could see the tears running down my face as I type this, you would get a small sense of my grief.
Godspeed, Rick. You were one of the best.
Thank you for indulging me this vanity...
Sorry for your loss.
So very sorry ..... lost a friend to suicide so I have some small idea of the shock/pain you’re in. Prayers for you and Rick’s family.
Know you were a good friend.
Oh...so sorry...prayers for you and his family
I understand. I do. Prayers.
Prayers for his family and all who knew him. His space in all of your lives will never be forgotten. His spirit is now with you.
Prayers for his family and all who knew him. His space in all of your lives will never be forgotten. His spirit is now with you.
May God comfort and guide you and others affected by this. It is tragic.
Dear God, please be with these people and help them through this difficult time.
Sorry to hear of your loss.
Have lost good friends from stroke, heart attack but
not suicide, one was even gunned down on the street
by a punk thug. Hold on, tomorrow is a new day, maybe
it will rain or we’ll be struck by an asteroid, at least
it will be interesting.
After that, it will either be nothing or something else...
“”How can someone that is so funny and make others laugh have such a hard time with their own life? What made him so depressed?””
Your question hit me hard because it perfectly described a young friend we lost to suicide in June of 1981. I always felt that his humor was covering up something but we never gave it much thought as he seemed so normal. He looked at my husband and myself as a second set of parents - the biological father a monster who beat the mother who was helpless from his treatment. We had never met his parents but saw them at the funeral and other than losing him, his mother was a very sad sight. I don’t think she realized why we were all gathered in one place. He had two sisters and three brothers - each handsome Irishmen. The break came when he fell in love for the first time and the girl led him on and then dumped him. He was at our house the night before building shelving in a storeroom off our patio and not a sign of any depression - only the same cracking of jokes.
I got the call the next morning from one of his sisters. What was really odd was after my husband went to work and our daughter off to school, I changed beds to do laundry. In my own bedroom I felt strange, very tired and laid down as I just didn’t feel right. I got the call after that...and he did it at the time I was laying down.
My husband’s father committed suicide 8 years after this and that was hard and some others in the family had done the same thing so while it was difficult, it didn’t hit as hard as losing this young friend who had so much going for him and to live for.
I am so sorry for your loss.
Was he troubled, that you know of?
Was he taking anything like Welbutrin or the like?
I’m so sorry.
I have no words for you, which makes me even more apologetic.
I’m so sorry fhayek.....oh if only we could read minds when someone is in trouble and contemplating the ultimate act of taking their own life. Again, I’m so very sorry. Gods comfort be on you and Rick’s family......;(
Great eulogy! I’m sorry for your loss.
So sorry for your loss and prayers for his loved ones.
Sorry for your loss, fhayek.
I lost a dear friend, also like a brother to me, back in September 2016.
Vietnam vet, homicide detective, and as fine an Irishman and as you’d ever meet.
God bless, brother.
An ex-sister-in-law took her life about 4 years ago, almost exactly 2 years after losing her youngest son in a boating accident. She just could not face going on, I suppose, which is particularly sad, because her first grandchild was just ONE MONTH old when she gave up. We certainly never really know what is going on inside others, do we?
And, I will pray for you and his family. And pray that you come to some peace about his decision not reflecting on anything you did or did not do.
I am so very sorry.
We had a similar thing happen awhile back in my family. The thing I remember most was that I was urged by ‘that Small Voice’ urgently to call him that morning-and didn’t.
There is an increase in male suicides, you know, that is going on.
God Bless you Hayak and your friend Rick. It’s terribly sad that he ended his life, and I know you wish he had confided in you instead. I’m so sorry.
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