Retired Austin Businessman and Marine Corps veteran Raymond Harold Roark passed away peacefully on February 1, 2022 with his wife Ingrid, of 30 years and family by his side. He was 81. He was preceded in death by his parents Woodrow and Julia Marie Roark and his first wife, Virginia Roark.
Ray was born October 28, 1940 in Gilmer, Texas. He graduated from Robert E. Lee high school in Tyler in 1959. Ray joined the Marines after a year of Jr. College and completed basic training in California. He served overseas in Japan and returned to be stationed in California where he met and married his first wife. They were married in California. After four years he was honorably discharged.
He returned to Texas and moved to the Austin area. He and Virginia had two children, Raymond Matthew and Angela Ann Roark. Ray entered the insurance business in Austin and built a successful career. In addition, he and Virginia opened Beaver Brook Day care center in 1976. Ray would successfully run the business for another 30 years after his wife died in 1978. During that time, he would open two more Child care centers as he continued his first wife’s dream of providing a nurturing place for pre-school children with working parents. In 1979 he opened his own independent insurance agency so he could stay close to home after becoming a single parent. Building this new insurance agency was a challenge because he had to sign a no compete contract with his previous employer. But hard work and determination allowed him to successfully operate that business, selling it to Pathfinder Insurance of Houston and eventually retiring in 2013.
In 1980 Ray married Marilyn Barr. They had a child, Elizabeth Marie Roark in 1982. They remained married until 1987.
During his adult lifetime Ray was a founding member of Northwest Hills United Methodist Church, and an active member of his Rotary club. He loved a great joke and maybe even more, he loved to share a great joke. He often found himself interrupting his own joke, by laughing uncontrollably at the outcome of the joke he was trying to tell. It was an endearing trait that was part of a great sense of humor. Christmas was one of his favorite holidays and he loved to dress up as Santa's elf. He was a life-long Longhorn fan, attending as many games as he could. He was a season ticket holder for several years along with his wife Ingrid, who retired after 31 years from UT.
Ray loved to deer hunt and taught his son to do so as well in the Texas Hill country. He was also a big fan of fishing, both saltwater and freshwater. He never wasted an opportunity to share this love with all his grandchildren. He greatly enjoyed regular activities such as tennis with his grandson Blake who grew up in the Austin area. He loved a good hamburger and always enjoyed a stop at Whataburger. In his later years, he loved to travel, especially on cruises.
But his favorite activity may have been golf. As a member of Balcones Country Club, this became a regular event, even as his Parkinson’s progressed, Ray could still be seen on the golf course as late as 2016.
In 1992 Ray married Ingrid Moeritz. They remained married until his death. Ray and Ingrid enjoyed traveling together. Often traveling to Houston, Ohio or South Carolina. They also took many cruises and took time to travel to Europe.
Ray became a grandfather in 1992. He would go on to have seven grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife Ingrid, son Raymond Matthew Roark; daughters Angela Ann, and Elizabeth Marie; and her mother, Marilyn; step-daughter Melanie; granddaughters Laurel Goodwin and Rachel Roark; grandsons Blake Roark, Gus and Milo Fisher, Kyle and Conner Daughtery; brothers Woodrow Roark and David Roark.
Funeral services are set for February 26th at the Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills on Anderson Mill Road. Viewing is at 9am, funeral at 10 with grave side ceremonies to immediately follow at Cook Walden Capital Parks Cemetery. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cookwaldenchapelofthehills.com for the Roark family.
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