Raymond Terry DeRieux

Ray was born on November 7,1947, in Amarillo, Texas, to Roy and Ilene DeRieux. He grew up in Amarillo and graduated from Tascosa High School before continuing his education at Texas Tech University, where he pursued and graduated with a degree in accounting.

Ray married Kathy Sexton in 1977, beginning a life together filled with family, adventures, laughter and countless treasured memories.

Throughout his professional life, Ray enjoyed a long and successful career in accounting, arcade and vending sales, oil and gas and real estate. He was known as an eccentric and successful businessman whose determination, intelligence and entrepreneurial spirit served him well throughout his life. Yet for all of his professional accomplishments, success was never the most important measure of his life. For Ray, family always came first.

Nothing brought him greater joy than spending time with his wife, daughters, grandchildren and extended family. Affectionately known as “Poppy,” Ray treasured his role as a grandfather. He and Kathy, lovingly known as “Khaki,” spent much of the last 25 years at “The Farm,” a special place that became the backdrop for countless family memories. Ray loved having the grandchildren there to enjoy swimming, riding golf carts and simply peddling around the farm together. The Farm was more than a place, it was a gathering spot where some of the family's most cherished memories were made.

Ray possessed a genuine love for life and an endless curiosity about the world around him. He loved people and seemingly every animal that crossed his path found a place in his heart as well. He enjoyed sports, cars, lake life, traveling and adventures of every kind. An adventure with Ray might mean traveling to another country, heading to the lake or simply pulling over on the side of the road because he had spotted something unique or unusual that was worth seeing. He appreciated the interesting, the unexpected and the experiences that made life memorable.

And then there was food.

Anyone who ever shared a meal with Ray knew that dessert held a particularly special place in his heart. In fact, dessert was often ordered first. Ray believed in starting with the best things in life, a philosophy that perfectly captured his fun loving and unconventional spirit.

Perhaps even greater than his love of adventure and dessert was Ray's extraordinary generosity. He had a genuine love for people and believed deeply in helping those less fortunate. Throughout his life, he quietly and generously gave to numerous charities and individuals, often helping others simply because he saw a need and had the ability to make a difference. His generosity was not something he sought recognition for but was simply part of who he was.

Ray was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Ilene DeRieux.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Kathy Sexton DeRieux of Oklahoma City; his daughter, Lenis DeRieux Winkle and her husband, Craig Winkle, of Edmond; his daughter, Missy McKeever and her husband, Wesley McKeever, of Edmond; his sister, Michelle Handley; and his grandchildren, Emerson Huslig and her husband, Logan Huslig, Tucker Winkle, Noah Kalidy, and Jenna Kalidy, all of Edmond. He is also survived by many other beloved family members and friends who will cherish his memory.

Ray lived life in a way that was uniquely his own. He worked hard, loved generously, gave freely, sought adventure, appreciated the unusual and never missed an opportunity for something sweet. To his family, however, his greatest legacy will always be much simpler; he was their husband, their dad, and their beloved Poppy.

His presence will be deeply missed, but the stories, laughter, adventures, generosity and love he leaves behind will remain with his family for generations to come.

In honor of what would have been Ray's 79th birthday, a private family Celebration of Life will be held on November 7, 2026 in the Historic Chapel at Memorial Park.