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Raymond was a giant of a man

To the editor:

It was with great sadness that I learned of the passing of my childhood hero, Mr. John Raymond. It was Mr. Raymond’s special gift to simultaneously embrace an athletic toughness along with a compassionate kindness toward his fellow man. He touched many lives in the Saranac Lake community and left an indelible imprint upon those of us fortunate enough to have met him.

Mr. Raymond singlehandedly transformed a struggling Saranac Lake athletic program into a character-building, positive force, which produced not only exceptional athletes but also created outstanding young men and women. He made an entire village, my hometown of Saranac Lake, feel good about itself. When he arrived, Mr. Raymond immediately began to instill the confidence and fortitude necessary to build a winning tradition. Early in Saranac Lake’s football resurrection, our team suffered a close loss. “Before you can win,” he told us, “first you have to learn how to win.” From that moment on, we believed in ourselves because he believed in us, and we defeated that same team later in the season. The Raymond Renaissance had begun.

As great a coach as Mr. Raymond was, his kindness toward others best exemplified his own noble character. Countless times, his gentle understanding and supportive words enabled me to overcome what appeared to be insurmountable obstacles.

My special connection to this fine man was only enhanced when I learned that we shared the same birthday of Aug. 5. A year ago, my mother passed away, and Mr. Raymond entered the funeral parlor to pay his respects. We shared some old stories and some new ones as well. Mr. Raymond spoke glowingly not only of my mother but also of his own family, which clearly he treasured above all else. As he turned to leave, he said, “You know, you could call me John.” I told him he would always be Mr. Raymond to me.

Mr. Raymond was a giant of a man during his life, but his legacy as a human being will always be larger.

Christopher J. Nadler

Brooklyn

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