By Christopher Lauber’ 79
When I met Ray Sweitzer, I thought,“ What a gentle, good man.” Almost 30 years later I think,“ What a gentle, good man.”
There are a few things that stick out about Ray besides his gentle manner: listening, food, travel, friends, memory, and grading.
Ray is a good listener, always happy to talk, always patient. Ray enjoys good food, often saying no to a suggested restaurant because he had already been there and wanted to try something new. There is a rumor that he has worked his way through a well-thumbed Zagat. Ray likes to travel, boy does he like to travel.“ I’ m off to Buffalo.”“ I’ ll be in Boston that weekend.”“ Oh, I will be in( fill in the blank).” I remember stories of cross-country trips with his fellow Jesuit Fred O’ Brien. Hilarious stories. Closely connected with his love of travel is Ray’ s commitment to seeing friends. I sometimes think he has stayed in touch and visited everyone he has ever met.
Fr. Sweitzer, SJ
THANK YOU
If you have not quizzed Ray on the number one song in any month over the last 60 years, you have missed an awesome experience. He swears it is a matter of practice and effort, not a photographic memory. Simply amazing.
Ray loves the students and staff of Fordham Prep and often shares his admiration of the quality of students he has encountered in his German classes. He is dedicated to his students and always willing to go the extra mile. I remember one summer finding Ray and a student sitting on a bench in front of school. I walked up to them thinking they had run into each other and it was a casual conversation. But no, Ray was advancing him in German, and this was a class. And his grading system still baffles me. As I recall, eighths of a point were common. How does a student earn an eighth of a point? Ray knew.
Ray respects others, enjoys others, and in turn is respected and enjoyed by his students and peers. Many of us have had wonderful times with Ray outside of Fordham Prep, for some the opera, for others museums, for me long walks.
Ray, my wife, and I have enjoyed exploring different parts of NYC for years, walking neighborhoods, parks, and paths. Ray often brings places to life with stories that connect us to the history of the city and its people. And he loves to stop at historical markers. Stumbling upon the birthplace of Humphrey Bogart one evening was fun.
I will miss seeing Ray every day. I will miss his smile, his gentleness, his counsel. Maybe I have joined the ranks of his friends across the country and can look forward to a visit. We’ ll have to find a restaurant he hasn’ t enjoyed yet.
12 RAMVIEW