Early in the afternoon this past Sunday, my mom calls even though we had spoken only a couple hours or so earlier. It was one of those calls you hope not to get, especially being so far away. She asked if Jim was here and I told her he was. She said that she had just gotten some disturbing news, that it was not family, but wanted to tell Jim herself. He spoke to her maybe for only a minute, and then hung up. One of his closest friends from back in school had been killed in a snowmobile accident, only a couple miles from my parents home, just a short time previously.
Roy was the Best Man in our wedding and also the organist. He was also the organist for our local hometown Church, and both he and Jim had a great love for music, of all kinds. They both played trumpet in the school band and would keep in touch about concerts close to home and occasionally talk for long periods of time about music of one sort or another. Roy always had this big, quick cheerful like stride to go along with the smile on his face. One of the most cheerful people I've ever known, always a kind word and a genuine happiness to see you.
It was hard to hear of his passing from such a long ways away, yet, in some ways, made it easier to cope. Even Bridget remembers Roy as being a "really neat guy". Jim wishes he had had more time to spend with Roy, even though they have 2 completely different lives, and really music the only thing they have in common, except also golf, but Jim hasn't picked up a club in years. Jim told me later in the day on Sunday that he was looking forward to getting Roy over on our sailboat this summer, which was something that Jim was never able to share with him...

Roy will be greatly missed.