Friedman To Be Honored with Memorial Service

Ray Friedman ran on Hume Avenue for more than 25 years. Over that time, he developed a reputation of honesty and integrity. His shop took on tough jobs and promised fair prices.

When the mechanic suffered a fatal heart attack in his Manassas home on March 20, the neighborhood lost one of its good businessmen and a very likeable person. Friedman was 58.

“Ray was such a good guy. He would fix your car and charge you an honest rate for it,” said longtime Del Ray resident and Great Escape customer Judy Lowe. “We will all miss him.”

Greg Ramsey worked with Friedman on and off for 16 years at Great Escape. The two ran in similar circles growing up, running racecars and working in different auto shops and stations along Route 1.

When the two mechanics finally did start working together, it grew into what Ramsey calls a marriage.

“We would argue, then next day we’d be out on the boat or on motorcycles,” Ramsey said. “He was stubborn, but he took life one day at a time and lived it as best he could.”

When Friedman passed, there wasn’t money to have him cremated.

“People were unbelievable,” Ramsey said of the collection he took up. “I can’t thank them enough. That’s why I’m doing this service.”

Friedman will be honored with a memorial service on Saturday at in Del Ray. The service will last from 6 to 9 p.m. In lieu of flowers, a donation is requested to the Appalachian Great Pyrenees Rescue in Richmond.

A recreational boater, Friedman’s ashes will later be scattered over the Potomac River during a ceremony at Leesylvania State Park in Woodbridge.

Friedman is survived by his sister, Gail O’Brien, and his sons, Ryan T. Friedman and Joshua A. Hilbert.

Ramsey is taking over Great Escape and renaming it Legends Motorworks. He promises that's all that will be changing.

“Everything will be the same except Ray won’t be here,” Ramsey said.

Editor's note: The spelling of Greg Ramsey's name has been corrected in this story. Del Ray Patch apologizes for the error.