New Hampshire ALR chapter gives ‘final ride’ to longtime motorcyclist

Various health issues took their toll on longtime motorcyclist Rob Tomes, forcing him to give up riding. But thanks to Henry J. Sweeney American Legion Riders Chapter 2 in Manchester, N.H., Tomes was able to get out on a motorcycle again for a special ride.

Kenneth Gray, a member of Post 2 who serves as its chapter’s safety officer and a road captain, had been friends with Tomes for years. They met on the job, and the friendship blossomed.

“I’ve known him for 15, 20 years,” Gray said. “I had to have a couple of surgeries over time, and he’s always been the one to give me a ride to and from, made sure I had food when I needed it. When I needed a job, he helped me find a job. He’s bent over backwards to help me. He’s also let me use his motorcycle on numerous occasions when I didn’t have one.

Gray said that Tomes has been dealing with severe medical issues recently, including multiple strokes “which made it impossible for him to ride ever again. He had been hinting at me that he wished he could ride and feel the wind in his face. He had been riding longer than I’ve known him.”

Gray doesn’t have a trike but said another Rider in Chapter 2, James Ronan, did. “I went up to him and asked if he would help out and put (Tomes) on the back seat of his trike,” Gray said. “Rob does not have the strength or the balance to get up on two wheels.”

Once Ronan said yes, Gray asked other members of the chapter to take part “as a favor to me,” he said. “Several members of the chapter showed up to give a 45-minute to an hour ride. For me, it meant a lot to say thank you to (Tomes) for everything he’s done for me over the years.”

But the bigger reward for Gray was seeing Tomes’ reaction to the ride. “Two weeks later he’s still smiling,” Gray said. “He was grateful, and he was crying when we got done with the ride.”