A favorite photo of my brother

Today is the second anniversary of my brother Ray's death. I was looking through old photos during this past weekend and came across a few of him from November 2005 (he had just turned 45 in August of that year). I had met Ray for lunch in Manhattan; that was something we often did when I came to NY to visit. I would meet him for lunch for a couple of hours as his 'business client', and then we would join the whole family in the evening of the same day or on a separate day. It was always nice to have some alone time with him; we always had some interesting conversations about how he enjoyed being a father to two children, our family, the work world, politics and history. He was an avid history buff and a real font of knowledge when it came to American history. He would have made a good history teacher. This photo is one of my favorites; he was happy and smiling (my mother would have said--look at his dimples) and relaxed. It wasn't often that he had the chance to relax.

On Monday of this week, a woman from our old neighborhood in Tarrytown (Tappan Landing Road), Bridget, passed away from cancer. She was the sweet daughter of the older woman, Philomena, who used to care for my mother in her later years. Just like my brother, Bridget was 54 when she passed away. They died two days and two years apart, but at the same age. I'd like to think that they're both in heaven now, happy and at peace.

Rest in peace, Ray

Raymond C. De Angelis, of Riverdale NY, passed away suddenly on February 1st. He was fifty-four years old. He was born in Tarrytown NY and attended Transfiguration School and Sleepy Hollow High School. He graduated from Fordham University in 1982 with a B.A. degree in History and Economics. He is survived by his wife Elizabeth and two children, Tamar and Eli. Both Mr. De Angelis and his wife were co-founders of Adventure Center, Journeys of Wonder, Inc., a nonprofit creative learning center for children in Riverdale NY. Prior to this, he worked in the insurance field for many years. He was a dedicated triathlon participant in his younger years, as well as an avid fisherman; he enjoyed hiking and the outdoors and was very supportive of environmental conservation issues. He will be remembered as a loving father to his two children and as a supportive husband and brother.
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When I was in New York during this sad time, I had a free day, and walked around Rockwood Hall State Park, on the Hudson River. This was a place that we used to frequent as teenagers, and was one of the many places where my brother enjoyed walking around. He also enjoyed walking around the Croton Reservoir, Rockefeller State Park, Wave Hill, and other parks and nature preserves. He was eager to show his children and other children the wonders of nature, just as he had discovered them as a boy fishing around the Tarrytown Lakes. Rockwood Park was full of snow on the day that I was there, but the day was beautiful and sunny, and I 'buried' my brother in spirit in this beautiful place. Rest in peace, my brother Raymond.