Raymond Lee Chilton Jr.

Raymond was born on September 24, 1936 in McAlester, Oklahoma to Raymond Lee and Vivian Chilton. During the war, his family moved to Corpus Christi. He graduated from Ray High School where he excelled as a scholar athlete. He was a football captain, held several state records in track, and was later elected to the Ray High School Hall of Fame. He earned a scholarship to Rice Institute where he continued to excel in academics and football. As football team captain, he earned All-Conference Honors and played in the 1957 Cotton Bowl. While at Rice he served in the Army ROTC. He loved his years at Rice and developed a group of lifelong friends he affectionately referred to as the "Rice Group.” Those friendships remain today.

He met his first wife, Barbara Long Chilton, while at Rice, and they married in 1961. They had two sons, Lee and Gene, and were married for 24 years until her passing in 1984 from breast cancer. He was blessed to find his second true soulmate, Ray Taggart Thomson, whom he married in 1985. Their families were blended, and Ray’s children Cole, Katherine, and Linda Thomson joined Raymond’s two sons. Raymond and Ray were happily married for 32 years.

After graduating in 1959, Raymond chose attending Harvard Business School over playing professional football. In 1961 he was stationed in France where Barbara joined him in 1963 and they welcomed their son, Lee. They returned to Houston in 1964, where son Gene was born and Raymond went to work at Exxon. Then in 1969, the family moved back to Corpus Christi to join with old friends in forming a new real estate development company, Terramar, until 1977. The family later returned to Houston where Raymond continued in commercial real estate, eventually leading to a successful career in commercial real estate finance. Beginning in 1986, Raymond worked to rescue the failing savings industry at United Savings, which became Bank United, before becoming a consultant until his retirement.

Raymond was a member of Chapelwood United Methodist Church since the 1960s where he served as Chairman of the Board of Stewards and was a Stephen Minister. After Barbara’s death Raymond established a chapel in her name at Chapelwood and a scholarship in her name at Rice University. Raymond was well loved by his many friends. He was a very successful businessman and a true gentle man.

He is survived by his wife Ray Taggart Chilton; his two sons Lee (Debbie) and Gene (Jenifer) Chilton; his three step children Cole Thomson (Cheryl), Katherine Glass (Ethan), and Linda Thomson; sister Guida Drew (Jeff) and brothers Dana Chilton (Candace) and sister-in-law Linda Chilton; and grandchildren Daniel and Marley Chilton, Christopher, Bryce, and Shannon Chilton, Dianna and Tag Thomson, and William and Charlie Glass. He was preceded in death by his father, Raymond Lee Chilton, mother Vivian Nesmith Chilton, and his brother Donald Chilton (Linda).

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening on Tuesday, the 2nd of January, in the library and grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A memorial service and celebration of Raymond’s life is to be conducted at three o’clock in the afternoon on Wednesday, the 3rd of January, at Chapelwood United Methodist Church, 11140 Greenbay Drive in Houston.

Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the nearby Fellowship Hall.

Prior to the service the family will gather for a private interment at Woodlawn Garden of Memories Cemetery in Houston. Honored to serve as casket bearers are Dana, Lee, Gene, Christopher, Bryce and Daniel Chilton; Cole and Tag Thomson; and Ethan, William, and Charlie Glass.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in his name be directed to Chapelwood United Methodist Church (www.chapelwood.org); or to the Barbara Long Chilton Scholarship at Rice University (www.giving.rice.edu).