Raymond Kluck

Raymond was born on October 16, 1964, in Marlin, Texas in the, at the time, New Torbett-Hutchings-Smith Hospital to Alton M. (Bubba) and Ella Louise Kluck. As a youngster, he loved spending time helping his Papa on his farm in Criswell and camping with his Dad on his Papa’s property in McClanahan, shooting water moccasins in the creek with his B-B gun, and eating Schlitz basted bar-b-q chicken from the grill with pork and beans and potato salad.

When not on the farm or camping, he loved riding his horse Outlaw and riding his go-cart. It didn’t have a motor at first, so he would pull it down the gravel roads around town with a rope attached to a horse, being bombed by rocks, but he didn’t care, he was having fun. He loved his animals, his horses, dogs, baby chicks, ducks, goats, even a pet armadillo named Arnold, and a baby deer that showed up on his doorstep and continued to live in the front yard. He loved being on the lake, water skiing and tubing, with his sun kissed hair and perpetual tan. He believed it was his duty to serve, and he did so by joining the US Army Reserve, serving six years.

Raymond was a free spirit who marched to his own drum and sailed his own ship. He had three lighthouses where he would port, whose light was always on, through all waters, calm and stormy, his mom, his brother William, and his best friend for fifty years, since the fifth grade, Brent Morgan, who will miss him dearly.

Raymond had a knack for making friends wherever he went. When he was young some of them called him Catfish because of his big wide grin and dimpled cheek, they thought he looked like a catfish. Each time his family moved, he would have a friend in the neighborhood within a week. For some reason, they always had funny names. There was Frog, after his father, aka Brent, and Skip, and a couple of Bo’s, forgive any misspelling fellas, but you get the point.

He was preceded in death by his parents Alton M. (Bubba) Kluck and Ella Louise Cooper Kluck West, his paternal grand parents Paul R. Kluck and Frieda Kunze Kluck Bay, his maternal grandparents Grady and Wille Mae Thames Cooper.

He is survived by his daughter Leyla Shears and husband Jacob and grandson Braxton, son Trenton Willard, brother William Kluck and husband Julius (Bubba) Toman of Brenham, Justin West and wife Veronica of Moody, uncles Ernest G. Kluck and wife Janice of Marlin and Grady Cooper and wife Brenda of Streetman, aunts Paula Kluck of Marlin, Virginia and husband Jerry Russum of Bryan, and Ona and husband Dean of Huntsville, and numerous nieces and nephews and cousins on both sides.

Pallbearers are his brothers William Kluck and Justin West, brother-in-law Bubba Toman, best friend Brent Morgan, cousin Jack Perez, and friend Gregg Fulton.

Visitation will be held at Adams Funeral Home, located at 129 Coleman Street, Marlin, Texas, 76661, on July 10, 2026, starting at 9:00 am.

A graveside service will follow at Criswell Cemetery located on County Road 159 in northeastern Falls County, Texas starting at 11:00 am.