Remembering Ray: He went through life with his heart on his sleeve.(GENERAL RAMBLINGS)

Ray Grace had but days left. He was home, surrounded by family and in hospice care. He'd awake for maybe 10 minutes at a time. When awake, he was lucid, and, well, Ray.

He saw his daughter Melissa was home. He asked what day it was and when she responded "Monday," asked why she wasn't at work. She said she was taking care of him and his response was: "I don't know when I'm going to die but it isn't today so go to work."

That was Ray in a nutshell. He died of complications from cancer a few hours after Easter, obviously timing it so as not to interrupt an important day for his many religious clients.

Ray Grace was a force of nature. He loved the charitable sector and the service to others that it represents. Running CDR Fundraising Group, he probably gave away as many services as those for which the company billed.

It's a cliche to say that a business person loves the firm's clients. It was true in Ray's case, particularly religious and military causes.

When it became public that he was gravely ill, thousand of messages were left on a Web site that was built for him. It was a testament to a man of service.

There are so many Ray stories that they would fill a thick volume. Those stories are going to be told by his friends at the next couple of conferences, when they get together. So, take a few minutes to grieve, to tell a story or two and then get back to work making this world a better place. That's what Ray would have done.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

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