CA in Athens, 1982. Photo by Dr. Ray Healey.

How I Met My Wife:

How My Buddy George Gave Me The Greatest Gift of All

Dr. Ray Healey
12 min readAug 25, 2021

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I have been quietly mourning a dear old buddy of mine, George, ever since he passed away in September of 2007 — when he suffered an untimely death at the age of 61 — but I’ve cherished his memory ever since, because he gave me the single greatest gift I’ve ever received, an introduction to the woman I was lucky enough, later, to marry.

George presented his gift to me at an epic party he threw at his 24-room apartment at the Dakota, the legendary building that sits on Central Park West in New York City.
George liked to throw parties, and since he was extremely well-heeled, he had the means to throw extravagant bashes.

George particularly liked to throw parties to benefit his favorite causes, and I recall one that was a fundraiser for his favorite organization, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). He had invited a large crowd of his well-heeled friends, and he packed the house at his Dakota pad, because he had had the good sense to invite as his special guest one Robert Redford, who showed up with his wife Lola, and wowed the crowd with a great speech. This speech caused a number of George’s well heeled friends to increase their donations that night.
I was a beneficiary as well, because I got to corner Redford and chat with him about his…

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Dr. Ray Healey

English Lit. Professor. Novelist and short story writer. Adventurer: Pamplona Bull Running, Boston Marathon, "Deliverance" River Running, Cross Country Bike,…