James F. "Jim" Ray

Born on March 12, 1941, during a time when the world stood on the brink of global conflict, Jim’s early years were shaped by resilience and strong family roots in Arkansas. He spent his childhood between Camden, Russellville, and Little Rock. At the age of 10, his family moved to San Antonio, TX where he graduated from Alamo Heights High School and received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Trinity University. Jim was in ROTC at Trinity and served three years in the U.S. Army as an intelligence officer after graduation. He later received a master’s degree from The University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs in Austin, TX.

Jim was deeply influenced by his family. His mother, Leila, was a devoted and hardworking woman who had a passion for teaching, educating high school students for many years, then teaching adults. His father, Jasper Frank Ray, built a career in public service, including work with the National Youth Administration and as Executive Assistant to the Governor of Arkansas, instilling in Jim a respect for service and integrity, and then many years at Trinity University heading the Procurement Department and helping shape their beautiful campus in San Antonio.

Jim carried a strong love for nature throughout his life. Early exposure to fishing, hunting, and time spent outdoors fostered a deep and lasting connection to the natural world. He particularly enjoyed fly fishing. Lasting impressions from his Aunt “Artee’s” stories of earlier generations eventually inspired a lifelong appreciation for historic preservation and culminated in his serving on the board and then two terms as President of the nonprofit organization Preservation Texas.

Jim’s passion for government and service heavily influenced his professional career. In the 1960s he headed the Texas Urban Development Commission at UT Arlington, where he drafted and helped to pass legislation creating regional councils of governments in Texas. He then worked for Texas Governor John Connally, where he was assigned the role of travelling across Texas to help local governments set up their regional councils. About a decade later, after establishing his own consulting firm, Jim was retained by the 24 regional councils of governments in Texas to manage their statewide association, the Texas Association of Regional Councils, which he oversaw by contract for 28 years. The National Association of Regional Councils created and still awards the James F. Ray Award for Regional Excellence in State Associations.

Jim’s service to the State of Texas also included setting up the Texas Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, a state agency focused on providing critical research for the governor and Texas legislature on key issues facing the state. One such study was a review of the antiquated 1876 Texas Constitution, which resulted in legislation creating a blue-ribbon study commission, the Texas Constitutional Revision Commission of 1973, to be followed by the Texas House and Senate sitting jointly as a Constitutional Convention in 1974. Jim was selected by the governor as Executive Director of the revision commission and by the legislature as Executive Director of the convention. The new constitution was not to be, and ultimately failed by a single vote. However, much of the work done by both bodies was ultimately implemented through legislation or by constitutional amendments. Jim also was appointed to serve on numerous state and federal organizations and panels because of his unique expertise.

Following the constitutional revision experience, Jim married Katherine Shoquist Bennett in September 1977, and together they used their state, local, and national governmental expertise to create Ray Associates, Inc., a private consulting firm focused on resource management and leadership strategies to help governments at all levels improve their services to the people. This allowed both Jim and Katherine to continue their public service through the private sector. Jim was noted for his negotiating skills in bringing disparate parties together to reach agreements on issues of importance to the people they served, especially on statewide legislative issues, and for his skill and excellence with the written word. Together, Jim and Katherine shared almost 50 years of devotion to each other, their family, their business, their church, their state, and their country.

Jim is survived by:

• His wife, Katherine Bennett Ray

• His daughter, Jackie “Christie” Hickethier, her husband Jason Hickethier, and her children, Gabriel McNulty and Jordan Hickethier

• His son, Gregory Michael Bennett, his wife Susie Capozza, and their children, Cameron Bennett, Alec Bennett, and Arianna Grandi

• His grandchildren, Megan Ray and David Ryan Ray, and great-granddaughter Avery Torres

• His brother, Jon Ray, and his wife Linnie Ray.

He was preceded in death by:

• His son, Travis Ray, and Travis’s wife, Connie Ray

Jim will be remembered for his thoughtful nature, deep appreciation of history, governmental service, and enduring love for family and the outdoors. His life reflected strength and a deep connection to the people and places that shaped him.

Services will be held at University Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, June 10, at 1:30 p.m.; interment at the Texas State Cemetery at 2:45; and a reception at 5:00 PM in the Harris Bell Hall at Westminster, located at 4200 Bull Creek Rd., Austin, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jim’s honor to University Presbyterian Church or to Preservation Texas.