CHRIS FOSTER : Sad Ending to Happy, Full Life

There’s a story about Gary Raya that former El Dorado boys’ basketball Coach Nash Rivera loves telling.

It’s about the night an opposing coach demanded that officials give Raya a technical foul. Raya had been cheering and chipping from the bench, which annoyed this coach to no end.

Raya was 9 years old at the time.

There’s a story about Raya that current Golden Hawk boys’ basketball Coach Tim Tivenan loves telling.

It’s about the day El Dorado’s new principal asked that Raya coach only one basketball team. Raya’s energy made that unthinkable, which impressed this principal no end.

Raya was 28.

How many of us would be willing to settle when we’re young for what we eventually get?

When Raya died Wednesday, it was cruel and tragic. At 29, he was Joe and Millie Raya’s third son to die young. Yet, Joe Raya made one demand Friday. “Anybody cries and I’m leaving,” he told the more than 30 El Dorado coaches, teachers, administrators and staff members.

They had gathered at a local restaurant because Gary Raya had planned to be there. It had been a weekly event for a group of Golden Hawk coaches. Many more came Friday, and Joe had to be there too, to remember not to cry.

Gary Raya was nurtured and thrived at El Dorado High School. His family lived across the street from the school. His father was the Golden Hawks’ first equipment man in 1964 and has worked there ever since. Raya had been bottled and burped at many school athletic events. But he never left the womb.

There’s another story Rivera loves to tell.

He had called timeout with 16 seconds left in the 1975 Southern Section boys’ 2-A championship game. Raya stuck his head into the huddle and repeated almost every word Rivera said, with the same energy.

Rivera laughed until he cried talking about that night.

There’s another story Tivenan loves telling.

The girls’ team won an important game in the Fountain Valley tournament a couple of years ago, then their coach rushed back to El Dorado for the boys’ game. He walked in at halftime and went right to work.

Tivenan managed a small laugh talking about that night.

Raya focused on El Dorado basketball--boys and girls. He was the ball boy for the 1975 championship team. A little man wearing a big tie, Rivera remembers. Raya had been the girls’ coach since 1992. Tivenan still expects to hear him coming around the corner each day.

Raya played at El Dorado and never really left. He graduated in 1984, then became the lower-level boys’ coach the next year.

When Tivenan got the Golden Hawk job two years ago, Raya sought him out and expressed his complete satisfaction with the hiring. It was approval from the highest authority.

There’s another story Rivera loves telling.

It’s about being asked by Raya to speak to the girls’ team in 1993. It was the first time the Golden Hawks had made the playoffs under Raya and he wanted his mentor at his side.

Rivera spoke about that tribute with pride.

There’s another story Tivenan loves telling. It’s about his first week on the job in 1993. He got exhausted watching Raya scurry between practices.

Tivenan spoke about that energy with admiration.

How many of us would be willing to settle when we’re young for what we eventually get? Raya never had to ponder that one. As sad as it is, not many bracket life so neatly.

There’s one story Rivera and Tivenan abhor telling.

It was Wednesday and Golden Hawk basketball coaches, past and present, learned that Raya had died.