In Memory of Ray

It is with a heavy heart and much sadness, yet wonderful memories that I write this post today.  Camp Good Days, and I personally, have lost a friend and colleague, and someone who was an integral part of making this organization what it is today, with the recent passing of Ray Cordello.

When I was starting Camp Good Days, I was just a Dad, looking for a way to deal with what was going on in my family, and looking for a way in which to give my daughter, Teddi, the opportunity to realize that she was not the only child dealing with cancer.  In those very early days of Camp Good Days, Ray, who worked for the County of Monroe for many years, served as our volunteer Treasurer.  Ray was not a politician, but working in a political environment, and as will happen, the day came when the administration and the party in power changed.  Ray was one of the last employees of the former Lucien Morin Administration in Monroe County, but did eventually lose his job.  At the time, he asked what he could do to help Camp Good Days, as he had extra time and was in the midst of searching for the next step in his career.  With a wife and two children, he wanted to stay in the community.  Camp Good Days was operating on Canandaigua Lake, renting a facility then, where he came and did whatever was needed that summer – running errands, helping with anything that was asked of him. 

As fate would have it, we at Camp Good Days were in the process of looking for someone to come aboard and handle the financial and accounting functions that fall.  One night, I met Ray and our mutual friend, Fran Russo, for dinner, when Ray shared with me the opportunities he was exploring, which were similar to what we were searching for, it was the perfect fit for everyone.  I said to Ray, there was no way we could afford to pay him what he had been making but, why not work for an organization he believed in and had dedicated so many volunteer hours to, and if something came along later, I would not stand in his way.  I would be happy for him and we would be no worse off than we were, in searching for someone to fill that position.  So, Ray came to work for Camp Good Days, an organization that he had spent so many volunteer hours helping to make a reality. 

I have always been the one who doesn’t sleep and who comes up with some crazy ideas and plans, and it was always Ray, along with our dedicated staff, that made those ideas and plans come to fruition.  Ray was always in the background, happy to just make what needed to happen.  I never had to worry about the finances, the accounting, the audits that we are required to go through every year, the numerous filings and paperwork that needed to be completed to maintain our status as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. 

None of us is getting any younger and as Ray got older, it came to be time for a change and to begin to prepare someone to take over Ray’s responsibilities.  I was happy that Ray could help to train his successor, especially because it was a challenging time in that we not only had to find someone to take on those responsibilities but also had to find a new audit company, when the company we had been using for so many years was no longer able to be our auditors. 

Ray was as honest as the day is long.  He was a great husband, father, and grandfather.  He was dedicated to his church and his Webster community.  He believed so thoroughly in the mission of Camp Good Days and was dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and families dealing with cancer.  He was always willing to make it happen – no matter how crazy or impossible it seemed.  He was there.  Always there to make sure that Camp Good Days was in the best financial shape possible and that we, as an organization, would never falter, despite many challenges and difficult economic times.  He was always there, to lend an ear – for advice, for guidance, or to just let you vent.  He was stubborn for sure, but in most instances, that stubbornness proved to be correct.  He was a cornerstone in the building of Camp Good Days and in making it what it is today, and for that I will forever be grateful.

It is too hard to actually believe that he is gone.  There are too many memories and stories to share in this forum, but for those of us who had Ray in our lives, we now have him in our hearts, along with all of those memories and stories.  He will be missed more than he would have ever thought possible, by so many whose lives he touched, in one way or another.  For those of us who were fortunate enough to have known him, been friends with him, and worked with him, we will forever be better people for his strong personality, his quiet dedication, and his support.