Editor, Gazette-Journal:
The good people of the Hayes community lost two Good Will Ambassadors last month—Ralph Taylor and Richard Whiteheart. Their presence will be sorely missed.
Many people did not know Ralph personally, but they knew him by his shuffle walk, his smile and his tender word exchange. He could be seen walking across the parking lot or waiting between the median strip while crossing the highway. He lived just around the corner on old Route 17 and made his daily rounds to the stores in the Hayes Plaza Shopping Center or across Route 17 in the York River Crossing Shopping Center.
Before the pedestrian safe crossing light was installed at the Guinea Road stoplight, you could see Ralph waiting in the highway median for safe crossing. You might have mentioned a soft prayer for his safety at those times. Sharing a greeting with him was an uplifting experience. As you drove in or out of the parking lot, you could see him walking and waving as friendly horns were tooted for rec...