What can you say about a 48 year old man who died?
That he was brilliant and funny
and he loved soft music and laughter!
and
Black coffee.
That he smoked so much that your last words to him will always echo in your mind!
"I will see you again only when you stop smoking"
Why does death leave you longing to say the things left unsaid?'
Who does death bring more pain to- the one who cares or the one who cared?
How does death take away what was never yours yet leave you feeling empty?
What does death get by leaving behind dull pain and tears?
When does death turn the anger into acceptance?
Where does death leave the unshed tears weeks after you realise you can never talk or meet again?
"Witty, Sharp, Funny, Intelligent, Bond"
"Finance expert, a surprise romantic, soft-spoken demeanour."
"Raghu made incredibly beautiful bouquets of the wildflowers he handpicked from the forest hill behind his room. Rest In Peace, my friend."
Words shared by old friends, who remembered him from the years gone by!
His shy smile, wry humour, keen mind is what everyone remembers of him.
6th November 2015
Our meeting after 17 years was unexpected and full of surprises.
I made a friend!
Someone who wanted to do special things for me.
Someone who wanted to do special things for me.
The old fashioned gentleman, holding car doors open for me, always, always being there before I reach to meet, to draw a chair for me,
Insisting on picking me and dropping me off, even if it meant going out of his way!
Few knew how excited I always was to meet him,
few knew of our long walks, talks over several cups of coffee and iced tea, sharing fear of the present and the future, feeling pain for the past and the present, shedding silent tears over what could have been and could not.
If you take time off to meet someone on your/ their birthday, everyone knows that's special!
Grateful for his old fashioned ways, I have emails to read and grin and blush!
Never shy to sign off with XO and Hugs!
Some memories will remain only mine.
26th November 2018
His life was gentle, and the elements mixed so well in him that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, “This was a man.”
Raghu Ramachandran
3rd Sep 1970- 26th Nov 2018
This is incredibly sad.... Raghu and I were friends years ago in the US and we lost touch about 12 years ago or so. I was looking up old friends from college and found your touching blog entry.
ReplyDeleteJessica, thanks for leaving this note! Wish you had stayed in touch with him through the years! With our busy lives, we rarely make new friends. Raghu would have loved to talk to his friends from the years gone by. An amazing soul!
ReplyDeleteYour blog was really moving. I met Raghu initially in 2004 when we worked on the Grand Cayman together on claims, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. We stayed in touch following my return to South Africa and we were able to meet and reconnect last year. His untimely passing was an absolute shock and he will be sorely missed - a real gentleman and critical thinker. I pray that God will bless his soul and may he rest in peace. Best regards, Chris Gengadoo
ReplyDeleteThank you for the note. Am glad you got a chance to meet Raghu and re-connect last year. He was slowly getting in touch with friends from the past and his sudden passing away just reminds us to hold on closely to people dear to us and let them know how much they are loved.
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