On The Loss Of Ray Dobratz

I never met Ray Dobratz. His son, Erik, is a friend of mine and co-worker at the TV station. I know about Ray because Erik talked about him–told me stories about him.

Ray Dobratz was killed Sunday in the explosion that leveled the power plant in Middletown.

Sometimes life catches up with you in a hurry. No one said goodbye. Ray left life unfinished.

What I heard about Ray I liked. More importantly, you couldn’t listen to Erik talk about his father without immediately understanding the deep affection they had for each other.

If it’s any solace Ray knew how Erik felt abut him. Erik’s conversations with me left that point perfectly clear.

Not saying goodbye is sad. Not knowing love would be tragic.

We all mourn the loss of Ray Dobratz. Please keep his family in your heart.

4 thoughts on “On The Loss Of Ray Dobratz”

  1. Please pass along my deepest sympathies to Erik. To lose a parent is sad enough, but under these circumstances it is heartbreaking.

  2. I heard about this on the 11pm news last night. Wow, talk about the news hitting home. 🙁

    A good friend of mine lost her mother in a car crash a few months back. Like in this situation, she never had a chance to say goodbye. You just never know …

    Condolences to the Dobratz family, and the families of the other 4 victims of the explosion.

  3. I was one of the fortunate many in Old Saybrook to have known Mr. Dobratz. He was my baseball coach in a few different leagues from age 8 to 18. I have nothing, but fond memories and the utmost respect for him and the positive impact he made on the community. He was truly someone that helped shape the person I am today. My thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Dobratz family.

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