Leah Raye Sexton Mabry

July 26, 1938 – May 29, 2025

Dr. Leah Raye Sexton Mabry, MD, RPh, a distinguished physician, pharmacist, Registered Parliamentarian, philanthropist, leader in Texas Family Medicine, and dedicated family woman, entered eternal glory on May 29, 2025.

Dr. Mabry was a trailblazer throughout her life who made her own way. The youngest of three sisters, Leah Raye was born in Harlingen, Texas on July 26, 1938, and was raised in the Rio Grande Valley town. “I wasn’t interested in playing dolls and house with the girls,” she said. “I wanted to ride horses and play football with the boys.” Which she did. In high school, Leah Raye joined band and chose to play percussion.

She graduated from Harlingen High School in 1956 and matriculated to the University of Texas at Austin where she again forged her own path by majoring in pharmacy. That same year, at the age of 18, Leah Raye became the first woman percussionist in The University of Texas Longhorn Band. She is credited with inspiring generations of Longhorn Band female percussionists, including her own daughter, Angie. Leah Raye was amongst the group of band sisters who in 1957 chartered the Beta Gamma Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma, a national service sorority for marching band members. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy in 1963.

After beginning her career as a pharmacist, at the age of 40, Leah Raye entered medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She graduated in 1982, and was recognized as Distinguished Alumna in 1996. Following her internship and residency at Medical Center Hospital in San Antonio, she opened her private practice in Pleasanton, Texas. She cared for her patients and served her Atascosa County community for many years before joining the faculty at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Family Practice Residency Program in San Antonio, where she was the Associate Program Director for over a decade.

Dr. Mabry’s leadership extended beyond clinical practice. She was actively involved with the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) at the local, state, and national levels. She served as President of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians from 1997 to 1998 and held roles as Texas Alternate Delegate and Delegate to the AAFP. She served on various AAFP committees, and as Vice Speaker and ultimately Speaker of the AAFP Congress of Delegates. She was honored in 1998 by then-Texas Governor George W. Bush with an appointment to the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, a position she held until 2020.

Dr. Mabry’s heart was as benevolent as her work ethic was strong. She was one of the two first women members of the Pleasanton Rotary Club. Later she shared her time and medical expertise by volunteering for the San Antonio Rodeo and Doctors without Borders, traveling to Peru and Mexico to care for children. She contributed to the University of Texas Alumni Association and Longhorn Alumni Band. Her generosity to TAFP and the TAFP PAC was such that new levels of philanthropic awards had to be created.

Dr. Mabry’s life was not all work and no play. She was a season-ticket holder to several Texas Longhorns sports for 40 years, and enjoyed traveling to major sporting events. A life-long lover of horses, she accomplished her dream to own and ride horses. Still blazing trails at the young age of 70, Dr. Mabry began riding in cutting horse competitions, earning more than one belt buckle. She also had a specific interest in parliamentary procedure, and became a Registered Parliamentarian. Dr. Mabry was a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians, the Texas State Association of Parliamentarians, and the American Institute of Parliamentarians. She enjoyed movies, and her home was a mini shrine to her favorite movie star, John Wayne.

Leah Raye is survived by her daughter, Angie Mabry, and grandchildren Sophia and Flynn Mabry Nauta; sisters Elizabeth Carter and Frances Campbell; and nieces and nephews Janet Randolph, Carter Campbell, Linda Panther, and Beverly Carter. She is preceded in death by her parents, Franklin Sexton and Jewel Dawe Sexton, brother-in-law Richard Campbell, and nephew Marshall Campbell.

Dr. Leah Raye Sexton Mabry lived boldly, and her legacy is one of devotion, leadership, and service. She will be remembered for her contributions to medicine and her unwavering commitment to improving the lives of others. Her family extends heartfelt gratitude to the staffs at The Village at the Triangle, Blue Water Hospice, and Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Homes and Cremation Services for their loving care and excellent professionalism.

A service to celebrate Dr. Mabry's life will be held at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 5416 Parkcrest Drive, Austin, TX 78731, on her birthday, Saturday, July 26, 2025, at 10:30 am. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be given in Dr. Mabry’s honor to the Longhorn Alumni Band General Scholarship, or the Texas Academy of Family Physicians Foundation.