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I worked with Anne back in 1995 and knew her and Adam practically from the beginning.......going from the little spaces they lived in to when they bought their first home and were trying to get pregnant and how excited they were when they found they were going to have twins!!! They were always such a beautiful couple, so well matched....they had their challenges like any couple and got through them. They loved their boys together with such passion! Adam was a wonderful man...very funny, very cool. I liked him alot.
When Anne recently contacted me to tell me the news, a deep sadness came over me for her and the boys. In her email to me she said "my Adam is gone" and those words have haunted me ever since. I would give anything for her to have her Adam back. I cannot stop the tears as I write this......my heart aches for her and her boys so much.
I send her and her family blessings and love and healing light to help her through the darkness. I wish I could do more.
Ezia "Z" Leach
I am so truly saddenend. Dr. Raisner was my Dr. and such a pleasant and kind person. I remember him talking about his wife and sons so lovingly. You could tell he was so happy. I am truly and deeply sorry for this news. My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. God Bless.
I just learned about the sudden death of Dr. Raisner and I am just stunned and deeply saddened. Adam was my doctor for the last six years. I had the utmost respect for him and used to tell my friends to join his practice since he was the best doctor I ever had. In talking to him about running, biking, and children's activities, you could tell how much he enjoyed life and how much he cherished his family. Dr Raisner will be missed and I consider myself very fortunate that I had the privilege of knowing him. His family is in my thoughts and prayers.
My 12-year-old son Meier is a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan. He is not just your average fan -- he lives and breathes Red Sox! He watches Red Sox games, spouts Red Sox stats, and has a complete Red Sox wardrobe -- complete with game jerseys, batting practice jerseys, hats, etc.....Whenever anyone asks him how this true love began, Meier fondly recounts his first baseball game. He was just 3 1/2 years old, and his friend Adam took him to a Red Sox Opening Day game versus the Yankees. Adam was a young doctor in town, and a pharmaceutical rep gave him tickets. Adam, in his infinate generosity and enthusiasm for all things -- shared the game with Meier. The smile Adam wore the day of the game was second only to the smile Meier wore! Meier remembers that day and shares the story of it as though he and Adam were the only two people in the whole park! Adam changed Meier's life that day, and the special place that experience, and all of the resulting experiences will forever hold a special place in Meier's life.
Adam was a student of mine at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, where I served as his department chair and residency director. After he entered practiced, he and I were colleagues.
He was a fantastic physician -- astute, sensible, caring, beloved by his patients and esteemed by his colleagues. As a teacher, I find the shock of the loss of a student to affect me deeply. And when that student was the exuberant, sweet, lively Adam, the loss is so much the more incomprehensible.
He will always live on vividly in my memory and in that of so many of us at the hospital. We really loved this guy.
Mark Drapkin
I have been in a fog ever since I received the call about Adam. I have been thinking of Bruce, Beth, Lisa and their families, Harvey and Elaine, Anne and the beautiful Kids.
I have been upset with myself for letting the last few years go by without see each other; though with Adam when we saw each other, it was as if we never missed a beat. I will miss this most about Adam.
What I do have are memories - great memories of a lifelong friend who played such a big part of my life growing up. Nursery school, town sports, KP and Hall. I remember the sleep overs, joining him on his paper route and I have to admit that I never really like getting up early to assist him with that, Basketball, floor hockey and soccer on the Green Bombers.
Adam's celebration of life memorial service was a beautiful service. There were so many people from all of Adam's different phases of his life tell their stories about how Adam touched their lives. It was very apparent that Adam was the same person he always was - compassionate, loyal, and someone who would do anything for the people that meant most to him.
We have lost a special person and I have lost a special friend. He will be missed, but we are all better off today for knowing him.
Schue
I knew Adam from early childhood through high school, and after reading the pieces below see the striking consistency throughout Adam's life. Unlike Neil I didn't keep up with Adam as we all went our ways after high school, but did see him summer of 1994 ten years later. I was back in WH for a month helping my brother's first campaign for State Legislature. I think Adam had heard I was around and he actually sought out our hard to find little campaign office to come say hi -- with Tony Girondola who he'd stayed close with after he'd moved away before jr. high -- and we caught up for a long while. Right there you twice see the loyalty and thoughtfulness that Adam always displayed.
I was struck then by how little he'd changed, in manner and appearance; still the same great guy everyone liked and wanted to be around, upbeat and a great listener. Looking at the photos and montage on this site, it's amazing how little he'd aged and how great a shape he kept in -- I'm sure many at the upcoming 25th Hall reunion will marvel at it also. I'm also sure there's not a person in the class who didn't respect and like him, because despite his abilities at various sports and jazz trumpet and his popularity, he was gracious and kind with everyone, at a time in life when some in similar position often weren't.
Another story -- Adam was as everyone knows a great athlete from a young age, and I played soccer with and against him for years. He was always the far better player of course, esp. when we were young when he was the best in elementary. But by high school his loose knees gave him some problems and we had great talent and depth, so senior year he subbed into varsity games regularly for starters, and I had improved to the point where I was the first to sub in for our great striker if/when we were comfortably ahead.
We didn't have many bench goals, but I managed to get a hustle goal (meaning not pretty) toward the end of the season where I ended up tumbling over after a low header and watched the ball roll in while lying on the ground. I started up with a surge of excitement, and who was the first person I saw flying at me, looking even more happy and excited? You know it, it was Adam. He gave me a bear hug and lifted me up; I was in a daze, but remember thinking how honored and happy I was that Adam was the first there to share and elevate that moment of celebration, the guy I'd always looked up to as the consummate player and winner.
I hadn't directly thought of that part of the story in decades, until I first heard news of the tragedy a few weeks ago -- then that look on Adam's face as he approached was one of the very first images that popped to mind. And I suddenly realized how much I treasured that memory. And how you can suddenly miss someone you've spoken with only once in the last 25 years.
As Michael below showed from his later life, even at a young age Adam was genuinely humble, seeking to deflect praise and preferring to lift up or comfort someone else, and always listening with a smile. It's clear that this innate bedside manner made him such a great and beloved doctor. Harvey and Elaine you should feel amazingly proud of the mensch you produced, as I'm sure you always have, and feel comfort in how his positivity affected many lives. Ann, looking at the photos and montage it's clear you all shared a full and loving life together; I hope the memories and love will always give you comfort and strength as you and your beautiful boys fashion a new life ahead. Nate and Jonah, may your dad's love and the strong example he set of how to live life to the fullest always inspire you to act as he did and would have you do, with grace and thoughtfulness.
My name is Neil zachs and Adam was a friend of mine basically for my entire life. Actually, we car pooled to pre-school together!! Our friendship only grew from there. I could write forever, telling funny and charming stories about Adam and experiences that we had together. Ever since I was a young child, when speaking about Adam, I always referred to him as 'My Friend Adam Raisner". I am not sure why....I just did. Maybe because he was always that....My friend. When we e-mailed each other, he would always sign out, not from "Adam" but from YFAR (Your Friend Adam Raisner). In my forty years of knowing him, we never had a disagreement...never had a harse word. Adam was so 'even-keeled" it was scary. He was the epitome of a "glass is half full" kind of guy.
My feeling is just to sum it up with the fact that the world is less happy, less bright, less intelligent, less optimistic, less caring, less funny and less sincere with my friend Adam Raisner gone. Although we did not see each other over the past years that much based on our families, geography and careers, we always kept in touch via e-mail and phone calls. I wish that I could have these past years as a "do-over"....I most definitely missed out. No question about it. I miss him terribly and always will. No matter, he will ALWAYS be, My Friend Adam Raisner.
We moved to Medfield in 1999 and immediately looked up for a local doctor to take care of our regular check ups. Good fortune led us to the hands of Dr. Raisner whom since day one gave us a lot more than excellent medical practice. Dr. Raisner was always very human, honest, and compassionate. He attentively listened to us, understood and gave special attention to our unique circumstances, and provided care that went way beyond his medical duty. We thought of him more as a friend that we could count on.
Dr. Raisner, you will be in our hearts and memories forever.
To see the many responses in reaction to Adam's passing, please visit:
http://www.legacy.com/gb2/default.aspx?bookid=5291532737239
My name is Mike Shepard, and my wife Daryl and I are close friends of Adam and Anne. I had the good fortune to get to know Adam well over the past several years, and to spend a lot of time with him. It turned out that Adam and I had a lot in common, although it took some time to figure that out. Because as anyone who knew Adam knows, he didn’t exactly talk your ear off. But that was one of the great things about Adam—it was never about him. He never wanted the attention to be on him. He was happy to listen, to find out how you were doing, and to offer advice, encouragement and reassurance when it was needed.
When you were with Adam, it was about the moment. Whatever it was you were doing, he was happy to be there, with you, in the moment. He didn’t complain, and never seemed to be in a bad mood. Adam loved life, and he lived it to its fullest.
Adam was probably the only doctor who rummaged through the town dump, or stopped to look through items left out at the curb, hoping to find a treasure or two.
No, Adam wasn’t concerned with material things, it was experiences he coveted. And for Adam, the experiences he sought out usually involved play. Adam loved the outdoors, and was up for any activity that was even remotely athletic. And no matter what sport it was, Adam was good at it. And no matter how little he had played a particular sport in the past weeks, months or years, he always seemed to be in better shape than everyone else.
The Boston Marathon route runs right near my house, and a few years ago I asked Adam if he was going to take Nate and Jonah to watch the marathon. And he says, “No, I’m going to run in it.” And I said, “How are you going to run in the marathon—you didn’t qualify or get a number in the lottery.” And he says he’s not entered, he’s just going to run the marathon with a friend of his. So I asked him if he’d done any training for it, and he says no, but he’ll start doing some running and see how it goes. But Adam, I said, the Marathon is in two weeks. Yeah, I know, he says. So Adam ran the marathon, and Anne, Nate and Jonah were there at the end of Beacon street waiting for him. There are some great pictures, which I’m sure you’ll see in the photo tribute, of Nate and Jonah holding up a big poster that said “My Daddy is Superman,” with a big red Superman S in the middle of it. And he wasn’t just Superman in the eyes of his boys, but in my eyes as well.
I played basketball with Adam in a league in Newton. He was the guy with the endless energy and indomitable will. No matter how hard he was knocked down, he was going to get back up and bury a three, and when you congratulated him, he’d shrug it off and compliment you for a good pass or good hustle. It was never about him—it was about the moment, and the joy of playing and doing something he enjoyed.
Adam loved the Red Sox. We went to a lot of games together. When I had tickets to a cold rainy April game, I knew I could count on Adam to go with me and sit there, cold and wet, watching the team we both loved so much. He would come over to my house to watch playoff games, and bring his game-used bats. We would knock the bats together every time the Sox scored a run or made a good play, and we’d trade bats when things weren’t going the Sox’ way, our little effort to help change the team’s fortunes.
Even though Adam led a complicated life, with a busy family and a successful practice as a doctor, underneath he was still a kid at heart. And he was at his happiest when he was playing with his boys, Nate and Jonah. Whenever I went over to his house, he was usually in the yard with the boys, playing games with them. Adam wasn’t the type of Dad who reluctantly played with his kids only when he grew tired of them pestering him. He loved playing with Nate and Jonah, and anyone else who happened to be there in the yard. He sought it out, and really thrived on the interaction with them. He wasn’t thinking of other things he could be doing, but really enjoying the time he spent with them.
When the kids were little, Adam and I took them out on his canoe, and we’d paddle around Crystal Lake and try to catch a fish. As the kids got bigger, the canoe got too crowded for all of us to go. I know Adam got some quality time in the canoe with Nate and Jonah this summer, paddling around the Charles River and doing some fishing.
When we would take the kids to the park, Adam always brought his baseball glove or a football, so that he and I could play catch for a few minutes when the kids got tired and headed for the monkey bars. It’s those moments that I’m personally going to miss most, just two dads, playing catch, talking about the Red Sox, enjoying time with our kids. Simple, pure, living in the moment.
While we are all grieving the fact that Adam was taken from us so soon, we should take the time to remember what a lucky guy he was, and what a great life he led. I had the blessing and the privilege to get to know Adam’s family during the last 10 indescribably difficult days. I saw an incredibly tight-knit, loving family go through as difficult a time as one can imagine. And I was moved by how much they love Adam, and how they were there for him and for each other throughout this terrible ordeal.
Adam was lucky to have met and married Anne, his sweetheart. You could tell how much he loved her by how he doted on her, by all the little things he would do with her and for her. Believe me, I caught my share of “Did you hear what Adam did for Anne,” or “Can you believe what a great guy he is?” stories from my wife. But you could never get mad at Adam for making the rest of us husbands look bad, because you knew that it wasn’t an act, it wasn’t for show—it was who he was, and it was not meant to be noticed.
Adam was fortunate to have two wonderful sons. Nate and Jonah, you were lucky to have had such a great dad. He loved you very much, and he leaves behind shoes that are impossible to fill. But I want you to know that this room is filled with people who are going to do their best to make sure that you get the love, guidance, coaching, tutoring, mentoring, friendship and support that your dad wanted you to have, and was prepared to give you. You are strong, smart, wonderful boys, and I know that Adam is going to be proud of the men you will become. And someday, we’ll look at you, and we’ll see our friend Adam reflected back at us. And that will be the best gift of all.
As lucky as Adam was to live the life he did, the real lucky ones were all of us. We had the good fortune to know a man who lived life the right way. He was a loving husband, a wonderful father, a loyal friend. He was a gentleman to strangers, a caring doctor to his patients. He was the first guy there when you needed help, and the last guy to leave. He was a coach to kids, and a role model for the rest of us. He was, simply put, Superman. And our world was brighter with him in it. One of Adam’s favorite sayings was, “Rub some mud on it, and get back in the game.” So we owe it to him to try to put aside our sorrow and our grief, to try to focus on the good example he set for us, and live our lives like he lived life, enjoying the moment. Rub some mud on it, and get back in the game.
Thank you, and Godspeed Adam.
The Adam Raisner Foundation is being set up in Adam's memory in order to provide for the welfare of his wife and sons. In addition to losing Adam's love, affection and companionship, his family has lost their provider. The Foundation is being set up to make sure that his wife and sons do not have to bear the additional suffering of worrying about their financial well-being. It is expected that money raised by the Foundation will be used to support their needs, including Jonah and Nate's education.