Ray Fontenot

Allen Ray Fontenot, Jr passed away peacefully at Ochsner Hospital on Sunday, December 22, 2024 at the age of 81. Born on December 16, 1943 to Allen Ray Fontenot and Nancy Ross Carothers Fontenot, he was a native and longtime resident of New Orleans.

An only child, Ray enjoyed spending his childhood summers in Batesville, MS surrounded by his cousins, aunts, uncles and his beloved Gran. As a 12-year-old, he took up golf at a 9-hole course in Batesville, teaching himself the basics with a sawed off six iron that he used for every stroke - even putting. In the evenings, he would sit with his uncles listening to St. Louis Cardinals games on KMOX radio. Those Batesville summers were truly formative, as golf and the Cardinals became lifelong loves.

Ray attended Sam Barthe School for Boys and St. Martin’s Episcopal School. In New Orleans, Ray had a summer job at the Audubon Golf Club. The pro, Innes Millar of Carnoustie, Scotland, recognized Ray’s talent and gave Ray golf lessons gratis. Ray eventually won the Audubon Club Championship. As a senior at St. Martin’s, Ray and three of his friends decided to enter the New Orleans City Championship. They won, and the school didn’t even know that they had a golf team until they read about it in the Times Picayune!

Ray earned his bachelor's degree, JD and MBA from Tulane University, where he was Consul (Chapter President) of Sigma Chi, a 3-year varsity letter winner, and captain of the Tulane golf team from 1964-1966. After graduating, he served in the U.S. Army 2nd JAG Detachment for 6 months active duty and 6 years in the Reserves. While he described himself in his retirement years as a “recovering attorney,” Ray was proud of his time as a law clerk to Judge Blake West in the U.S. District Court in the early 1970s. He went on to a career working in the oil and gas and marine insurance industries.

A lifelong sports fan, Ray took particular joy from Tulane’s 14-0 victory over LSU in 1973 (snapping a 25-year losing streak to the Tigers), the Cardinals’ 1982 World Series title, Jack Nicklaus’s record 6th Masters win in 1986, and of course the 2009 Saints’ Super Bowl championship. Ray could imitate the booming voice of Harry Caray, sounding more like Harry than Harry himself. Ray had a photographic memory, a strong dose of cynicism, an extraordinary gift for storytelling, and a superb recall. Years ago, New York Yankees manager Billy Martin came to town to give a speech at Tulane. Martin was at a party before the speech. He had had a rough day and was in no mood for levity. As Martin spoke, Ray ran forward from the back of the room and said, “Billy, it is 1952, World Series game 7, 7th inning, bases loaded, 2 out, and Jackie Robinson at the plate: you made a running grab in the infield and won the game!” Martin ran to Ray and gave him a bear hug. Ray had done his magic - the mood in the room had turned joyous - and ever since, Ray displayed a photo of himself and the Yankees Manager.

Once, while waiting to return to New Orleans from a business trip in New York, Ray picked up a copy of the Sporting News, ordered a second Michelob, and settled into a table near a window at JFK. Absorbed in this literature, Ray was startled by a voice saying, “Pardon me, but do you mind if I read part of your Sporting News?” Ray realized that he was talking with Jerry Koosman of the New York Mets. Heading to the table was Tom Seaver and the entire team. Bad weather delayed all flights out of JFK, and Ray had the only copy of the Sporting News in hand. Within half an hour, Ray and the Mets were old drinking buddies. Soon, Mets fans approached their table seeking autographs. As scraps of paper, napkins, and magazines piled up, Ray asked Joe Torre, the Mets Manager, what to do. Joe’s reply was, “Sign ‘em, babe.” From then on, every scrap included, “Sincerely, Ray Fontenot” along with the genuine autographs.

Ray was wise in the ways of the world. He could carry on a conversation on almost any topic. He was generous beyond belief, eager to share what he had with anyone who walked into his life. Ray was smart! His language skills were beyond extraordinary, with an astonishing memory for things both important and trivial. Ray loved words and he knew how to use them. Loving words as he did, he devoured crossword puzzles, embracing every misdirection. He thought, “I can do that,” and began creating puzzles of his own. After a few rejections, Will Shortz accepted one puzzle after another, and many of Ray’s puzzles appeared in both the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

Ray married Claudia Harold in New Orleans on March 26, 1994. Over three decades, they shared true love and enjoyed many adventures. Hurricane Katrina brought Ray and Claudia to Fort Collins, Colorado. For 19 years, Ray and Claudia spent their summers in Fort Collins, returning to New Orleans from November through April so as not to miss the major holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mardi Gras, and Jazz Fest.They were hurricane birds, as opposed to snowbirds. Before long, they realized that their new neighborhood needed a touch of New Orleans. Ray introduced neighbors to each other. Frustrated because he couldn’t find a bar that he liked, Ray asked Claudia if she minded if he turned their garage into a bar. Claudia didn’t mind, and so the Hotel del Ray was born, bringing the NOLA spirit to Northern Colorado! The only rule was, “If the door’s open, the bar’s open!” The president of the neighborhood association was one of the Hotel del Ray’s best customers. Parties Chez Fontenot quickly became the premier social events of the neighborhood and beyond. In New Orleans, Ye Olde Shed was the eastern branch of the Hotel del Ray.

Ray was special in many ways. When his son, Scott was diagnosed with diabetes at age six, Ray gave himself saline shots when Scott had insulin shots so Scott wouldn’t feel alone. Ray loved Claudia, his children and grandchildren, his pets, golf, baseball (especially the St. Louis Cardinals), P.G. Wodehouse, and Elvis. Ray touched the lives of everyone he met. He described himself as a “ray of light that’s fun to know.”

Ray was preceded in death by his parents, his son Christopher Scott Fontenot, his beloved dogs Trusty, Beau, and Abby, and his cats Spinks, Weezie, and George. He is survived by his wife, Claudia Louise Harold; sons, Gray Carothers Fontenot (Kristin) of Falls Church, VA and Todd Parker Fontenot of New Orleans; stepsons, Peter Ehrlich Menge Jr (Shannon) and Christopher Aldwyn Menge (Megan), all of New Orleans; stepdaughter, Megan Bragg Harvey (Rob) of Steamboat Springs, CO; grandchildren, Tyler Ross Fontenot, Ryan Martin Fontenot, and Kathleen Anne (“Kate”) Fontenot of Falls Church, VA and Natalie Amelia Bragg of Steamboat Springs, CO, and his dog, Flopsy.

In lieu of or in addition to flowers (Claudia loves them), the family suggests donations in Ray’s name to ARNO (Animal Rescue New Orleans), Slidell Animal Shelter, or the charity of your choice. The family also recommends that you buy one of Ray’s friends a drink somewhere. That’s what he would have done.

A visitation will be held on Friday, January 3 at 11am followed by a funeral service at 12pm, both at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans. After a private entombment, the family will host relatives and friends at an afternoon reception.