Raymond Alton Parker

Ray Parker was born on Christmas Day, 1948, in Ontario, Oregon, into a loving family that blessed him with many happy childhood memories. His favorite stories were of summers at his grandparents logging camp, staying in trouble with his brother and friends or the stories of the family moving up and down the big rivers in Idaho and Oregon where his father worked constructing dams. He always joked that he was a “Damn Kid”. In the summer of 2017, Ray had the opportunity to visit all the areas where he had grown up in Oregon and Idaho. The highlight of the trip was leaving flowers at the location of his parent’s ashes. It was a very special trip which made him so happy and with it came a flood of forgotten memories.

After high school, Ray joined the Army where he served as a medic in the Vietnam era. During his service, he married and had two children, who were the light of his life. He made their home in Spokane, Washington, where he worked for Kimberly-Clark as a regional sales manager until his retirement.

The next chapter of his life was leaving Washington and starting a life of leisure with his second wife in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where they could enjoy the warm weather, sun and sand (things he loved!). There he made new friends and enjoyed a happy and relaxing life until his wife became suddenly ill and passed away. He made the choice at that time to return to the United States where he could be near family and old friends.

It was not very long after his return that his son-in-law was offered a job in Texas and their family made the decision to relocate. Ray wanted to be near family and watch his granddaughters grow up so he made another big decision and decided to move to Texas also. He considered himself retired but had too much energy to sit still. He worked several part-time/full-time jobs where he met some very special people and formed close bonds. His hangout was at Chili’s in Lewisville where he met some of his best friends (The Misfits is how he lovingly referred to them). He met Shirley on December 12, 2012, after posting a personal ad on “Our Time”. This relationship led to an engagement and commitment.

His first struggle with throat cancer came in 2015 and he made it thru chemo and radiation with flying colors, but the nasty disease returned at the end of 2019. He again went thru the treatments like a trooper, but the radiation this time had done great damage to his body of which he would not recover. He was positive, strong and determined until the end of his life on December 29, 2020. He had celebrated Christmas and his birthday with the family. The twinkle in his eyes and his happiness were seen by all.

Ray was always up for an adventure and escaping to see and learn about new places that he had never been. He loved golf and the clubs the Misfits had bestowed upon him. He loved the annual fishing trips to Galveston. He counted the months each year until football season started and would cheer on his Seattle Seahawks. He loved traveling, working in the garden in Spring when the trees started to bloom, sharing his recipes for great potato salad and stuffed mushrooms, and loved a good southern breakfast of fried eggs and sausage, biscuits and gravy. There was not much that Ray did not like. He was a gentle soul and a loving and caring man with a heart of gold. He was loved by all and we are happy he is with our Lord. We will remember his smile, warmth, energy, his love for life, family and friends. He worked hard all of his life up until the end. He made a difference in the lives of many. He will be missed, but never forgotten. He will live in our hearts forever.