Matt Cashore ’94
“HeyMattCashoreit’syergoodbuddyJoeRaymond.”
Many phone calls or voicemails from Joe Raymond ’74 began with that phrase, spoken quickly like it was all one word.
I first knew of Joe, who died this week at age 67, when I was a student photographer from 1990 to 1994, working for Scholastic and The Dome yearbook. Joe was one of several outstanding photographers on the South Bend Tribune staff. Simply put: Back in the early ’90s, if you wanted to see the very best photos from a Notre Dame football game, you bought the Sunday South Bend Tribune.
As a photographer, Joe’s most famous Notre Dame photo is probably the Dwight Clay game-winning shot at the historic 1974 basketball game against UCLA. I always remember a different image, though.
To this day, if I’m in a situation where there’s a potential game-winning field goal, I’m thinking of the photo Joe made at the 1993 Boston College game — kicker David Gordon jumping into the arms of his holder after upsetting No. 1 Notre Dame. Joe was in the perfect spot, with timing, exposure and focus nailed — in an era when the camera didn’t do those things for you! It’s the perfect football jubilation photo.
He also made a perfect basketball jubilation photo — Notre Dame players celebrating the 2001 national championship as a dejected Purdue player walks off the court.
Joe was as good a friend as he was a photographer. On any given day, he would be a mentor, professional sounding board, photo assistant, copilot, chauffeur or lunch companion, just to name a few. He shared my Gen X pop culture mentality, quick with a South Park or Pulp Fiction quote, and was a kind “Uncle Joe” to my daughter.
Rest in peace, Joe.
YergoodbuddyMattCashore.
Senior University Photographer Matt Cashore is a frequent contributor to this magazine and worked with editor Kerry Temple ’74 on the book, This Place Called Notre Dame.