Ray was an exemplary human being and his empathy truly knew no bounds. He would go out of his way to help out anyone in need in every way possible and would always deny the credit. I was on the receiving end of his kindness on many occasions.

One such instance was during the later stages of the Covid-19 crisis. We were both working at a clinic when my grandfather contracted the virus. I wanted to visit him, but he lived too far away for me to simply swing by over the weekend and I'd already taken my paid leave earlier in the year. I couldn't afford to take an unpaid leave either. When I told Ray about the situation, he said he'd take care of it and urged me on to visit my grandfather. I didn't know what he meant at the time, but I assumed he would talk with our supervisor to see if I could get another week of paid leave. I was sceptical since I'd tried the same with no luck, but to my surprise I got two weeks off.

It wasn't until much later when I found out the lengths Ray had gone to. He had offered to double his working hours and work a 14-hour shift for two weeks, so that he could gift half his salary back to the clinic for my paid leave. He never told me anything. The way I found out was through an offhand comment made by my supervisor months later. I wanted to pay Ray back, but every time I would bring the matter up, he would shut it down immediately.

That is the kind of person Ray was. He gave without expecting anything in return, and he gave generously. He remained this way up until he took his dying breath.

According to his colleagues in Egypt, Ray was shot by the IDF while carrying children to safety. He kept on walking up until he reached a safe point where he could hand over the children. At that point, he had lost too much blood. His last request was to not waste any painkillers on him.

I have never met a person as profoundly good as Ray. I don't think I ever will. His death left a gap in my soul I will always carry with sorrow and pride.

Be with the angels Ray

Your grieving friend, Alex