Bob Ferrante’s words for

WARREN

September 5, 2006

Riverside Chapel

Warren belonged to a Fraternal Group called “The Old Goats”.

A very small number of men, formed for the sole purpose of enjoying ourselves, met yearly on a tiny French Island in the Caribbean called St. Barts. For twenty-two years gathered for two weeks in February.

Over time, you get to know the person you eat, drink, talk and laugh with. Six men who never noticed that we were growing older.

Warren’s greatest contribution, aside from his intellect, was his cooking. Each year when we arrived, Warren would put down his bag, survey the kitchen, jump into the jeep, and head back down to the small island store for his supplies…whatever he could find for soup stock. He’d come back up and shortly, on the stove, would be the start of the soups that would follow. Then he unpacked.

And in the main house the aroma of soup – chicken soup- vegetable soup- fish soup- filled the air for two weeks.

It was a heavenly aroma…as was his cooking.

One day, he designated his wife Mia and me as his sou-chefs.

Actually, he didn’t have patience with sou-chefs…we were galley slaves.

Mia and I discovered this when we were asked to de-vein the squid….. one- by- one…. in the tropical heat.

Since neither of us cooked…and only ate, Warren assuaged our guilt by letting us do this. We were honored until the next time. That day, Warren checked in wearing his tennis whites…and said, “Keep up the good work. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

We did: Squid… by Squid… by Squid…

But when he returned, we told him Never Again, and he roared with laughter at our rebellion.

Oh, the vodka with fresh limes, I made for Warren and me as he cooked.

Oh, the wines.

Oh, the early morning runs by the ocean.

Oh, the swims.

Oh, the fancy dining at the villa and the restaurants.

Oh, the talks.

Everybody knows how much Warren loved his wife Mia, and his children and Grandchildren.

And he loved us all.

Six men, and we never noticed we were growing older.

A soft focus allowed us to look ageless to each other. Because we are friends,

we never thought this day would come.

Good- bye, Warren.