A good friend and mentor died this morning. It was a surprise.

I was in the office Monday and was told that he had fallen and broken his knee Sunday morning.

Monday he went to have his knee evaluated and to see if he was going to need surgery. Tuesday night he was admitted to the hospital because he was ill and his back hurt.

This morning I was in the office, and the dispatcher hung up the phone and had a sick look on her face and told me that he wasn't expected to live. The dispatcher was on the phone with his wife, and he had coded twice last night.

I did my route and went home and tried to get some information. I didn't find anything out. I was making lunch and got a phone call informing me that he had passed away. I got physically ill. I put everything back in the refrigerator and went to work.

His kidneys had shut down and he died. Nothing they did helped.

Last Friday I was on a field trip with him, he was fine. We went to lunch and talked and cut up. It seems that night he got ill. He had vomited several times Friday and Saturday. He was weak and dehydrated and passed out Sunday morning, that's how he broke his knee.

I'm stunned! I can't believe it. Shocked doesn't begin to describe how I feel.

He and his wife are well loved at work. A lot of us were hit hard with the news.

It's kinda of a double wammy, as not only do we love them, but we are short on both drivers and attendants.
He was a driver and she is an attendant.

He was one of the first driver that befriended me when I was the FNG. He was one of the "old hands" that showed me the ropes and helped me.

He was 25 years my senior, but we were good friends and spent time together outside of work. You will be missed my friend. You will be missed.

Prayers for his wife and family, friends.

ARman


Well, they laid my friend to rest today. There were a lot of people there and a large number of co-workers. I was honored that his wife asked me to drive his bus. It was a hard thing to do, thinking that the last time it was on the road my friend was behind the wheel.

I drove it at the rear of the funeral procession with the four way flashers on. It was kind of weird driving through red lights, stop signs and crossing rail road tracks without stopping.

I had a handful of co-workers on the bus with me. When we got to the grave site, I parked the bus heading into the sun. I thought it was a good gesture, symbolic of my friends adventurous side, heading to a new adventure.

While driving in the funeral procession, I was struck by the linemen working possed, removed their hardhats and placed them over their hearts.

Of course it was an emotional day, but there were lots of stories and laughs being shared, remembering our friend.

I'm glad that I got to drive his bus. Last call 1118, 1118 out of service.



ARman

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ARman,

Sorry, ARman, that's gotta be tough. Prayers up.

Boy, that's awful. Prayers up for your friend and mentor. You just don't know when the clock strikes midnight!

ARman,
I'm sorry for your loss.

Man, that's just terrible and sad---prayers sent to his wife, family, and co-workers.

my condolences to you and his family

That’s terrible. Condolences to all.

Yes, condolences to you, his family and other friends.

Prayers and condolences to his Family and Friends. GOD SPEED.

ARman...condolences on your friends passing and prayers for his family and friends.

Ouch. You really never know how quickly your time could be up. Sorry

I'm so very sorry about your friend. It seems these days so many of the good ones are being taken, and some so unexpectedly. I'll add a prayer up for him and the family.

Thanks, there were a lot of drivers wearing sunglasses on this dark, gloomy rainy day.

Everyone is shocked. He was an older gentleman, but in good shape/health and very rarely missed a day.

He was one of the good guys for sure.

ARman

Very sorry to hear about your friend's passing.

Condolences to his family and friends.

Sorry to hear about that. The older I get the more stories like that become a reality.

Prayers and condolences sent. I am very sorry for your loss.

Well, they laid my friend to rest today. There were a lot of people there and a large number of co-workers. I was honored that his wife asked me to drive his bus. It was a hard thing to do, thinking that the last time it was on the road my friend was behind the wheel.

I drove it at the rear of the funeral procession with the four way flashers on. It was kind of weird driving through red lights, stop signs and crossing rail road tracks without stopping.

I had a handful of co-workers on the bus with me. When we got to the grave site, I parked the bus heading into the sun. I thought it was a good gesture, symbolic of my friends adventurous side, heading to a new adventure.

While driving in the funeral procession, I was struck by the linemen working possed, removed their hardhats and placed them over their hearts.

Of course it was an emotional day, but there were lots of stories and laughs being shared, remembering our friend.

I'm glad that I got to drive his bus. Last call 1118, 1118 out of service.



ARman