Holding the reins on his horse drawn carriage, RD Joe was a fixture on the Northeastern trail ride. His trail ride friends said when they saw him at the campsite Wednesday, they didn't know they were saying goodbye.
Trail rider Charles Phillips said, "We were talking and said we'd see him, and that was the last time I talked to him."
Joe had a heart attack as he got out of his truck. He collapsed on the ground and died at a hospital.
Word that one of their own was gone quickly spread.
Trail rider Venus Charles said, "It's going to be tough. He made the best potato pie in this part of Texas."
Mr. Joe is said to have been in his late 70s. Nearly half his life he was involved with the trail ride. It's what he loved to do. And because of that the ride continued with his wagon hitched up and his boots on the back. RD, say his friends, would have liked that.
Trail boss Anthony Bruno said, "So his spirit can ride with us. It's the cowboy thing to do."
The Northeastern trail riders are headed into Houston from the Crosby area.
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