The Big Boss Man

I stumbled upon this article about the Big Boss Man when I was looking for something else.

I considered Ray Traylor a friend. Our daughters were close friends through elementary and middle schools, frequently spending the night with one another. I never knew him as a wrestler, but rather as a man. He was probably the nicest, friendliest man I ever knew. He always had a smile on his face and a friendly greeting for everyone he met. Kids loved him.

I remember one time when our daughters were in middle school and were going on a field trip to Perry for the state fair. Somehow when I dropped her off, I got talked into going along as a chaperone. Ray went too, but not before trying to convince me that we should follow behind in his truck instead of riding the bus. I refused the ride so Ray climbed his huge frame onto the bus too. At the fair, the teacher let the kids pick which chaperone they wanted to stay with to walk around the fairgrounds. 90% of the kids went straight to Ray.

His life ended much much too early. It is hard to believe he has been gone almost six years now. Our daughters just graduated high school together. You are still missed Ray.