Happy December 1, Everyone!
We are still in celebration of a life well lived in our dear brother and friend, Ralph Brandon Gosinheimer. As you know, Ralph passed away this past Monday at the age of 79 years old, with his wife Charlotte by his side.
Speaking of Charlotte, she has a message for each of you. Here it is:
My very first memory of Ralph dates back to the day we first met—April 30, 1953. We were both in our early twenties. I was working as a nurse at the Empire State Memorial Hospital, and as fate would have it, Ralph was my patient. He came into the emergency room one Tuesday afternoon, thinking that he suffered a broken leg. Fortunately, Ralph only had a severely strained hamstring. When I walked into his room, he forgot all about his injury and started flirting with me. I tried to be as professional as I could, but I couldn’t lie to myself—it was love at first sight. When I took his temperature, I noticed that his blood pressure rose. The doctor talked about putting Ralph on blood pressure medication, but I wouldn’t allow it. I looked at the doctor and said, “No, I think something, or someone, has excited Mr. Gosinheimer.” Almost immediately, Ralph said, “And she’s a cute little honey blonde nurse named Charlotte.”
As the young folk say nowadays, Ralph had good game. Needless to say, we dated during that year, and on New Year’s Day 1954, Ralph proposed to me. We got married on April 10, 1954, and lemme tell y’all: I enjoyed being Charlotte Renee Gosinheimer. Two years later on January 1, 1956, we welcomed a baby girl to the world—Angela Margaret. On June 1, 1959, we welcomed our youngest daughter, Susan Ariel.
In the 57 years that I’ve been married to Ralph, I’ve always known him to be nothing more but a devoted, loving, and caring man. He was also a jokester. He would tease Angie and Susie constantly, but I betcha that when push came to shove, he was always there for his little girls. When Angie and Susie found their respective dreamboats, Ralph walked them down the aisle on their wedding days. He also welcomed Frederick and Bret into the family the best way he knew how: he referred to them both as his sons.
This past Monday, November 29, 2010, Ralph went home to Glory. About an hour before he left, I heard him say: “Here I am.” I knew that I didn’t call him, and when I told him that, he said, “No, Char—I know your voice all too well; this is a different voice callin’ me.” Once he said that, I immediately ran to his side and held his hand. I wanted to make sure that he got to Glory safely. At around noon, he took his last breath, and although I had tears in my eyes, I rejoiced in knowing that he made it.
As you all have probably been told, the homegoing service for my dear Ralph are scheduled for this Saturday, December 4, 2010 at 11 a.m., at Mighty Oak Baptist Church in my hometown of Atlanta, GA. My family and I extend our most sincere gratitude in advance for your kind words, well-wishes, and encouragement.
And Ralph, save a space for me, because I’ll see you when I get there. Love ya!
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