Thursday, June 18, 2009
I am deeply saddened to hear of the loss of James (Boo) Valrie, the younger brother of one of my closest and dearest longtime friends. I knew James as a very young man, a boy really. From the moment I met James, I suspected that this boy, who touched virtually everyone he met, would become a prince of a man. I am not surprised to hear that James became that prince I envisioned. Not only being a wonderful son, adored by his siblings, James became a husband and father, graduated from college and served his country honorably -- with pride and enthusiasm, as one Marine noted. We are lucky to have such men in our midst and we all should thank the Valrie family, for men and women like James contribute mightily to our nation, doing the real heavy lifting. May God bless the Valrie family, a family that I was lucky to be a small part of. My thoughts and prayers are definitely with you at this very difficult time. May you find comfort in James’ wonderful legacy and all who loved and knew him.
