Don's Open intro and eulogy
I'll post Davida's Poem as soon as I can type it up.

Keynote for Ricky Memorial Service:
NOTE: This is the written speech not the transcript.

Good Afternoon,

On behalf Ricky's chosen personal family and close friends, I would like to welcome everyone to this memorial and thank you for attending.

My name is Don Irwin, and Ricky was my friend. Ricky's wonderful wife, the love of his life, Elixcia, asked me to open this ceremony. I am humbled to be here today, to honor, celebrate and remember our friend Ricky, and to open this ceremony of rememberance on Elixcia's behalf.

I am especially humbled, because of the group of remarkable people gathered here. Ricky would be honored, thankful, and happy to see everyone today.

This gathering is more than just a memorial; It is a celebration of the beauty of friendship, the beauty of love, the beauty of care, and the triumph of the human spirit in the face of tremendous adversity.

People who did not even meet Ricky personally, gave of themselves, gave of their time, gave of their money, gave of their expertise, but most importantly they gave of their heart to make this memorial possible. To everyone who did so, know that you have my thanks, respect, and appreciation.

My friend Ricky would want for me to live a long, meaningful, happy, decent, proud and loving life. I wish the same thing for myself. When I pass, though, I hope that I too am remembered by a group of people who are as warm, decent, and generous, as those who are gathered here today.

The circumstances of Ricky's passing are very tragic and uncharacteristic of Ricky as a person. I owe it to the memory of my friend, Ricky, to say what I must on the issue of violence. I cannot condone acts of violence. Murder solves nothing and brings only more pain. Acts of violence against others or ourselves, are not the solution. I know that there are people here in the audience today, who live, proud, decent and loving lives, who may some years back may have been looking over banisters. I can't say that I haven't thought about it once, not recently. My feeling is that life does get better. In almost every circumstance, suicide is not only the wrong option, but it should never be considered as an option at all. My psych professor put it the best way I know how to put it and that is that, ?Suicide is a permanent solution to what we almost always look back on as a temporary problem or circumstance"