Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just found out about the tragic death of my best childhood friend. He has not been active in herp community for several years (more into rock climbing). However, some of you oldtimers may have met him. If so, I'm sorry to inform you of his untimely death.

Here is a link to an article on his death.
www.rockandice.com/news_detail.php?newsId=108&pno=0

Here is a link to a memorial website.
www.friendsofforester.com

I kinda remember the name. Did'nt he go by Ray?

He sometimes went by Jimmy Ray. He was an active herper in the 80's and early 90's. He remained a herp lover, but most of his passion in recent years was focused on rock climbing.

We spent our teen years together in DeSoto, Tx back in the early 80's.

The highlight of his herp career was a major collecting trip in Mexico and the SW USA with Dave Barker and others back in the mid 80's. On that trip, they collected several of the early, legal specimens of L.t.knoblochi that made that species available to the hobby.

The lowpoint in his (and my) herp career was the accidental release of an egyptian cobra to the wild near Cedar Hill, Tx. He had just traded for a pair of cobras and we stopped in Cedar Hill to hunt for C.a.atrox, leaving the cobras in open bags in a ventalated 5 gl paint bucket. After checking some active atrox dens on a large hill, we looked back to the car and spotted some punks breaking into it. We screamed and ran like madmen to chase them off from certain death. However, they took off in a panic long before they spotted or heard us (not a good sign). As we approached the car, we spotted the bucket on its side with the lid removed. Whereas we were in high grass, we slowed our approach dramatically. When we got to the bucket, we found one cobra missing! We searched and searched but never found it. We barely breathed for the next week while we scoured the papers for reports of cobra bites, then for the next two years for cobra sightings.

I used to herp that part of town while I was in High School (Late 80's). I guess it is a good thing that nobody heard anything related to that accidental release. Too bad there are people that think they need to just take what pleases them, just look at the mess they could have made.

I cannot say I remember Jimmy Ray, but having grown up in DeSoto I can only guess that I missed out.

Lance

You're from DeSoto also? Jimmy graduated from DeSoto High in 82 and I in 83. You may have known his younger brother, Joel Dworkin (sp?). Sadly, he died of brain cancer about six years ago.

If you had met Jimmy, you'd most likely remember him. He had a way of becoming everyone's best friend within minutes of meeting.

I just posted some other stories about his herping experiences over on the field collection forum.

Darn right abut that cobra incident. I worried about that for several years. Luckily, there was a sudden, hard freeze a few days later. I took some comfort (and discomfort) hoping (fearing) that the cobra may have been caught out and killed by the cold.

I was class of '90 myself, so I think I missed everybody... After about '92 I fell in with the College Station crowd. Lately though I have not been in touch with very many folks outside of this forum.

Lance