Sad news...

All: Good evening from Shorewood, IL. I write with a heavy heart to share the news that Cherie's dad, Rich Raven, has passed away after fighting prostate cancer for several years.

He entered the University of Chicago Medical Center Wednesday after being hit with an opportunistic pneumonia infection in the wake of his latest chemotherapy session. Cherie and I flew out to Chicago Wednesday afternoon when it became apparent that the infection was life-threatening.

The entire family rallied to his bedside, and we said our goodbyes yesterday evening. Despite struggling for every breath, he was in strong voice and good humor right up until his last words. After goodbyes, he looked at all of us, smiled and said, "Everybody ready for a square dance?" -- his mom and dad, long passed, had been big square dancers, and it was his way of telling us that he was ready to go see them. He closed his eyes, and began the process of winding down his life.

He never said another word.

This afternoon, while Cherie and I spelled other family members who needed a nap and a shower, he calmly exhaled his last breath and drifted away.

Rich was a truly good man who I felt fortunate to know. At 18, he joined the Air Force and served his country during the Vietnam War as an aircraft mechanic. Among other aircraft, he worked on the planes that dropped Agent Orange, which was believed to be responsible for the multiple cancers he fought during his lifetime and which eventually killed him.

He returned home to a career in telecommunications, starting as a lineman for Illinois Bell, and rising through the ranks of Illinois Bell and Ameritech, eventually becoming a project manager responsible for directing some of Chicago's biggest telco projects, including the cutover to a new 911 system for the city of Chicago, the 1994 World Cup, and the 1996 Democratic National Convention. He retired after concluding his career as a teacher for Telcordia (once part of SAIC, Matt) when his health no longer allowed him to withstand the rigors of teaching and travel.

My favorite aspect of Rich's personality was his penchant for telling interesting stories. Whether it was his time in basic training in Biloxi, working on bombers at McConnell AFB, avoiding electrocution while working on telephone lines during raging storms, standing up against Democratic Party officials with unreasonable demands, or standing on the turf at Soldier Field being honored for his work, Rich was always ready with a fascinating story that nearly always concluded with, "...and that was pretty big stuff for a kid whose dad had parked buses for the CTA!"

But most of all, I will miss hearing him say to my children, "Grampa loves you!" It breaks my heart that they will never hear that again.

If any of you are interested, donations in lieu of flowers can be sent in his memory by check to the University of Chicago Medical Center Cancer Research Foundation at:

5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC 1140; Chicago, IL 60637