Ray Garrity, Sean Maryott, John Mouw and I would get together from time to time to cook dinner, drink and talk wine.  

There was lots of drinking and lots of talking. I wouldn’t  call this a wine club. I’ll drink and talk wine with just about anyone, but these guys always brought great bottles and we all cook well. More often than not these get-togethers would be Sean, John and I. After awhile I suspected that maybe Ray had other friends and other interests — little did I know. Sometimes at these dinners when I came up for air and Ray got a chance to talk, he would tell me how he felt about things. What stood out was that he loved Jen dearly; he was fiercely proud of his niece Emily and Homer was his heaven. 

I first met Ray when I was tending bar at the Homestead. My first thoughts were Ray likes everybody and everybody likes Ray. I guess bartenders know a thing or two  about people.  

Mahalo and aloha, Ray,

Tiny Nolan