I posted this on IATN. Just thought I would share it with you guys also. Live every day to the fullest.

On Friday the 14th of December, my lead technician of 17 years died. He was 55 years old. Ray was a good guy, a great technician and a friend. He had been having what he thought was pain from a pinched nerve in his back/shoulder area. He told me when it was real bad, pain shot down his arm and spread to his chest! I said, Dude! That sounds like a heart attack! He has been to urgent care, they did an EKG, blood pressure check, O2 check, all was normal. The Dr. told him he would most likely need some physical therapy to heal the nerve or muscle that was hurting. He has been taking acupuncture for several weeks, but not much improvement. He texted me Tuesday morning and said he was going to go back to the Dr. the pain was too much. They checked him out again, BP, O2 all normal. Sent him home on muscle relaxers and told him to take 3 days off work. He came by Thursday to finish up his time sheet for payday on Friday. I told him again I thought something else was going on, he stated “ my heart and lungs are good, the Dr. said I’m healthy” He confirmed he would be at work Friday morning. We start at 8:00, he wasn’t there. I sent him a text at 8:45! No answer. I called around 10:00, straight to voicemail. I called his girlfriend, she was worried too, she couldn’t reach him either. A good friend of mine was at the shop, I sent him to Ray’s house. Both his cars were parked out front. No answer at the door. I finally pushed the panic button about 11:30 A.M. I called the police non-emergency line. I told them I had an employee that didn’t show for work. He has been with me 17 years, called in sick 1 time. No one can reach him. They sent a police unit to his house. My friend was there waiting on them. Front door was locked, but they found the side door open. He was on the kitchen floor. Had been dead for a while. Sometime between 1:30 PM on Thursday and 11:30 AM on Friday.

Needless to say, I am still in shock. I can’t believe it.

I guess when your time is up, you check out. Alone in your kitchen, or wherever death finds you.

I sit here typing on my phone, with tears in my eyes. The industry lost a good one 12/14/18

RIP Ray Harmon. CMT/L1 And a damn good guy.

Sorry to hear that Jamie

Do you know the cause yet?

Thanks Logic. There will be an autopsy on Monday or Tuesday. My money is on some type of coronary event. Stroke or heart attack. Pretty sure it wasn’t a back spasm. Dead is dead, whatever the reason.

When death strikes close lime that, it really rough.  It does tend to change your perspective on things though and reorients your priorities.

So sad this happened so such a 'young' guy. 

Take care of yourself and keep on truckin'.  And follow your own excellent advice!

Jamey wrote on Dec 16^th, 2018 at 7:31am:

Thanks Logic. There will be an autopsy on Monday or Tuesday. My money is on some type of coronary event. Stroke or heart attack. Pretty sure it wasn’t a back spasm. Dead is dead, whatever the reason.

Jamie I suspect a thoracic aortic aneurysm........

Very upsetting I'm truely sorry