Ralph and I corresponded a good bit, as Jared knows. Ralph was a great guy, and I love the suggestion about donating to a cause supported by Ralph (cancer research, maybe?). Just so everyone knows, at one point, Ralph e-mailed me and asked what my favorite charity was - he wanted to thank me for my posts here by making a donation. I demurred, but truly appreciated the sentiment, and I still do.
I think Jared has an excellent idea.
I never met Ralph, but I really did appreciate my correspondence with him. He was a class act, as evidenced by his e-mail above. He was also certainly a sharp guy, and he cultivated a series of relationships. He appeared to have a real level head - he seemed almost innately to know what was "real" and what was overblown or misleading. Ralph always kept his eye on the long run, and didn't panic or fall prey to short term swings in the market.
I will miss our correspondence. The world is a lesser place without Ralph.
