“He allowed me to take care of him”

Banker dies at 35, colleagues report: “It’s the fault of a toxic environment, we work 100 hours a week”

THE DECISION

With Giovanna “Chiara” Cerchier the love story began in 1994, when he worked in Jesolo: the decision to move in together in 2001. And now the wedding had to arrive, which, according to the projects planned for some time, had to be celebrated on June 15th. «It was something he had already thought about last year – his wife recalls – and it was his first goal after he stopped working. Not because of the illness, but because he had decided so: he wanted a very joyful celebration.” In the meantime he continued to work, with his usual spirit and usual dedication, which leads an entrepreneur to stay in the company for many hours longer than one might imagine.
«The situation has deteriorated so seriously in the last month and Riky asked me to change our plans. And it was, despite the emotional difficulty, beautiful, because they allowed us to do an extraordinary thing in a hospital room. It was also our being stronger than everything, even events.” The mayor Alberto Teso, still touched by this event, celebrated the wedding at the “Città del Piave”, the city hospital, on Thursday afternoon. «I went to the hospital at 6pm together with our general secretary Davide Vitelli. I celebrated the wedding in the presence of four witnesses, as required by law in these cases. It was an extremely touching moment which, in its drama, demonstrated how far fortitude and love can go. Now our thoughts must go to all those who loved Riky, especially Chiara, who I have known since we were children: she was at his side every moment, as only the greatest love in the world can allow us to do. Riky demonstrated incredible strength and courage, until the last moment.”

“GLADIATOR”

Riky passed away the day before yesterday, Friday, the day after the wedding. The warrior who adored “Gladiator” which who knows how many times he must have recited, with his engaging way of doing things: «My name is Massimo Decimo Meridio…». «What was Ricky like? Maybe it’s an overused word these days – Chiara recalls – but he was truly a warrior, in the true sense of the term, because since he got sick he never laid down his weapons: in some moments he even supported me. The only thing I feel like saying at this moment is that I can only thank him for the way he allowed me to take care of him in these years and in this last period, when I was the most fragile. He let himself be pampered, he let himself do what, from a human point of view, as a partner and as a wife, but also as a professional, I could do. He left me too soon: at 59 years old it is not a given that the person with whom you planned your life, made plans, is no longer there. But life is also made up of these things, which are not good for us, but which we must accept. Riky was tenacious and combative until he was allowed to do so.” And this too was an example. The example of a great love story.

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Read the full article at
The messenger