Alex Henry Ray

Despite his broad New York accent, to me Alex always had a European or Old World elegance about him. Maybe it was his embrace of so many forms of curiosity and intellectuality. Maybe it was because his sense of etiquette or sociability was to never draw attention to himself but always to inquire about others. Americans often don't do that. When I would visit the family in Newton he would be available but you had to inquire.
He and I were physicians of the same generation, brought up on paper and pen and shoehorned into computers and electronic medical records. We would complain about the declining state of our professional world, but then he would draw me into the broader reaches of his very well-informed and trained scientific mind, a mind that lept over the boundaries of medicine into things I enjoyed trying to understand.
I loved that his humor was wry and subtle and never far away, not even when his life was beset with so many health challenges and setbacks.
I have lost a friend, and our family has lost a great spirit.

Dear Ellen and Family:
Herb and I want to express our personal sorrow at this time. We both enjoyed getting to know him and are sorry that we did not have a chance to get to know him better. May your memories of Alex and your deep love for him sustain you as you grieve for him.

Alex was a special cousin. When I was about 9 or 10 he took me to an ice rink and taught me to ice skate. It was really special because no one in my nuclear family knew how to ice skate.
In later years he helped me find a solution to my allergy problem. He was a very caring person.

Dear Ellen and family,

Howard and I want to express our sincere condolences. May all of your wonderful memories of Alex bring you peace and comfort during this difficult time.

With love,

Merridith and Howard Glazer

Alex was the sole first cousin of ours from our father's side of the family; making him special. We spoke numerous times about my medical history as there was an overlap of his medical specialty and my background in human biology. To be able to talk by phone and still relate to one another over the great distance was a bonding experience. Even though we did not see each other very often, I know Judy and I were both very saddened to learn of his passing and we will greatly miss him. Our compassion and condolences reach out to Ellen, Eric, and Aliza and Frederick.

I remember meeting Alex in Sweden shortly after he returned from Finland. We were both young post-doctoral fellows with the world in front of us.