Conclusion
Early in 1915, Old Doctor Rave resigned as Town Health Officer. He was 71 then, and the Long-Islander took the opportunity to thank him for all he had done during his nearly four decades of service to Hicksville. It was clear that he soon would also step back from his other duties, and thereafter be content to watch the efforts of a new generation of doctors. He died eighteen months later.
A few years ago, I stood in Plainlawn Cemetery, gazing at the impressive older grave markers, at first not seeing some of the names I had expected to find. As I took a few steps to try a different vantage point, I felt something hard beneath my foot. It was a small, flat rectangular stone, its edges overgrown by grass, large enough for only eight carved letters: DR. E.G. RAVE. Compared to the elaborate markers I had been looking over, Edward Rave's is incredibly modest. It is, in its way, perfect for the grave of a dedicated man, someone who strove not to aggrandize himself, but to be the best doctor possible for all who needed him.
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