Dray Noble

Dray was a quintessential little boy, born with a Matchbox car in his hand, and progressing quickly to Tonka Toys. One of his early phases involved wearing his football uniform daily, with his cowboy boots, and playing tackle football all by himself while his siblings were at school. He was precocious as youngest children often are, surrounded by so many older kids, and had a facility for language beyond his years.

The family moved to Austin, where Dray became a paper boy for the Austin American Statesman at the tender age of 9. He attended Travis High School where he made lifelong friends. Dray enlisted in the Army Reserves while a teenager and remained serving while he earned his bachelor's degree in government and Middle Eastern studies at the University of Texas. He continued as a reservist for a total of almost 15 years. In 1996 while working at the Department of Human Services, Dray met his future wife, Kate Ozment, and the two were married in 2000.

In 1998, Dray felt inspired to join his eldest sister as an attorney and enrolled at South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas. He had planned to be an environmental lawyer, but shortly after graduating, Dray felt the call to join the JAG Corps. He was commissioned as an officer on active duty in the U.S Army following the events that happened on September 11, 2001.

His military service took him and Kate on a journey across the United States and to Europe. They were stationed in the Netherlands, Germany, Colorado, San Antonio, Virginia, Washington D.C. and finally Fort Hood where he retired as a Major. Dray and Kate's son Carter was born in Germany. Dray was deployed twice, once to Iraq and once to Kuwait. During his service to his country, Dray sought out every opportunity to experience the wider world, immersing himself in new places and cultures along the way.

One of his proudest accomplishments was serving in the "Big Red One," the 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. Counting his years in the reserves, he served our country for almost 30 years.

Despite the structure of his military life, Dray remained a free spirit - a hippie at heart – who loved rock and roll. Dray never met a stranger. His friends would joke that Dray could talk to anyone, even Scotsmen at a bar in Amsterdam about what they wore under their kilts! (Their answer was demonstrative rather than verbal!)

Dray is survived by his mother, Louise C. Noble; his two children, Brooke Noble and her husband David Guerra, and Carter Noble; his siblings Shannon Noble, Murrah Noble and her husband Jacob Nelson, Temple Noble and her husband Paul Hudspeth, and Cole Noble; and Shannon's children Ronnie Gelman, Moriah Weiner, and Leora Ammerman.

Interment will take place on May 20 at 9:00 am at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen. A Celebration of Life will follow on May 21 at 2:00 pm at Scholz Garten in Austin. Dray wanted to be remembered with a party! In lieu of flowers, the family asks that those so inclined donate to the Wounded Warrior Project.