Sentence:  I really loved that boy , and , in a feverish attempt to preserve our marriage and to try to revive the wonderful , wonderful person Letch had once <WSD>been</WSD> , I took my troubles to Momma , hoping that her earthy advice would help me . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)