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@Marianne: What makes this so difficult is the fact that I know exactly how lucky I was to have had Clint as a friend. He was a self-professed loner who pretended to be tough and strong. But from time to time, he let people glimpse inside that big ol’ heart of his and it was a wondrous sight. And once he became your friend, that was it. He was your friend come hell or high water. You are absolutely right when you say that no one like him will ever come along again.

Most remarkable about him was the fact that he was able to be a friend to a man or woman. That is such a rare thing. Years ago, some sick people on the Internet tried to make something sordid out of our friendship. We laughed about it because we knew they were simply unable to comprehend that a man like Clint could call a woman “Honey” (as I always let him, but no other man except my husband, call me) with genuine affection, hold the door open for her, stand when she entered the room, and refuse to let her carry anything heavy. But he could also talk on the phone with a woman for hours about all kinds of topics, demonstrating respect and admiration for her intellect, talent, and independence. When I was litigating Conservatorship of Wendland, he was my staunch supporter. When I was considering a job change, he listened carefully to my desires and wishes, and provided me with valuable insight and input. We argued about politics and world events. We argued about “One Life to Live.”

Yet when my kid smarted off to me one day up at the Ranch, he quickly turned to him and said, “Did you hear your mother?” I will never forget the look on #1Son’s face! Clint then took him aside quietly and had a little talk with him about respecting his “Ma,” offering to let him become a resident of the Ranch for awhile if he wanted to learn some lessons about hard work and appreciation for what we have. In fact, I told my son last week, “Now that Clint is gone, where am I going to threaten to send you when you mouth off to me?”

Most of all, Clint was a deeply spiritual man who had a quiet, abiding faith. Like me, he grew up in the Lutheran Church and, like me, moved away from institutional religion. But he didn’t move away from God. and reminded his friends regularly that there is no place “where God is not.”

BigBob and I had a good laugh Friday night when we imagined the reunion of Bucky and Philly in heaven. I think their co-star, Hillary B. Smith, said it best: “It is amazing to lose Clint Ritchie and Phil Carey in the same week, and yet I don’t think they would have wanted it any other way. I just hope they both end up in the same place or there will be Hell to pay … literally.”