John Sakschek
With teen suicide just coming into the public eye, I remember struggling through some very difficult days as a young adult. Ralph had already lost a son to this growing disease, and I was on the brink myself whilst dating his daughter through a very difficult time in my life with little direction. Because of my juvenile behavior, I was terminated from an awesome job that my school had arranged for me through a senior co-op program. I had to face my teacher and all of the people who believed in me with the brutal news that I was a punk and a loser who wouldn't amount to anything. High school was almost over and I had no plans of going to college. I had just broken my hand punching a wall because of a dramatic fit that I instigated. I was in contact with the armed forces to try to rescue my spiraling sole and I took all the tests to enlist. My own parents were totally oblivious to my plight and how near I was to the edge of life. One afternoon, a random conversation with Ralph helped me collect my self-esteem. He shared with me how, not only was he fired from his job as a young man; he accidentally started a fire that burned the entire company down. He praised me as someone who could conquer failure, and had a bright future ahead. His timing was impeccable. I had a great family but at this juncture of my life Ralph was the most important person. He saw someone in me that I needed to hear reflected back. As months went by, he continued to support me and my career took off. Without a doubt, my guardian angels wanted me to meet this man. RIP Ralph, I think of you often.