Stanley Ray McIlvaine

Stanley Ray McIlvaine, age 85 of Belton, died Monday, June 9, 2014 at his residence. Services will be held at 1:00 PM Saturday, June 14 at Christ Episcopal Church with The Rev. Mark Wilburn officiating. Burial with military honors will be follow at Bellwood Memorial Park. Mr. McIlvaine was born August 18, 1928 in Cleveland, Ohio to Harold and Margaret McIlvaine. Stan grew up during the depression. His great love of baseball started early at age 14 with a job on the grounds crew of the Cleveland Indians working there and afterwards serving reporters up in the press box. When the new owner took over the Indians he would stand up looking over the field at this young kid working all the time. After the season he called him up to his office to meet with him to tell him he was impressed with his hard work ethics and devotion to his jobs. He wanted him to start in the office to teach him the business side of running a baseball club as it was not just watching the game, the hard work came with hiring the players and making payroll. After that year he started work at a minor league club as general manager. He became the youngest general manager up to that time to run minor league teams at the age of 22, San Antonio Missions, Houston Buffs, and the Dallas/Fort Worth Rangers. He felt a great accomplishment during the time in Houston where he desegregated the first minor league ball park in the state. Eventually he was hired by Six Flags Over Texas to oversee several department heads of the amusement park. He finished that and was hired by Roy Hofheinz to build a park in Houston which became Astroworld. His next venture was with the Kansas City Chiefs naming and building Arrowhead from the ground up for Lamar Hunt, as well as the amusement park that became Worlds of Fun. Arlington, Texas was next when they needed someone to oversee the expansion of the old Arlington Stadium which he continued with until his retirement in 1988. He was a member of the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame, the Ex-Pros, and the S.A.B.R.E. organization. He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Bob, Don, and Roger McIlvaine. Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Claire, and two daughters, Marci Buehler and her husband, Thomas of Midlothian and Michelle Green and husband, Alton of Temple, nine grandchildren, Lindsey Knight and husband Chris of Waxahachie, Blake Buehler of Garland, and Brian and Brent Buehler both of Richardson, Ashley and husband Joey Hagg, of Temple, Kacie and husband Mike Carey, Terra Green, Ryan Altum all of Austin, and Jenna Raye Green of Temple and three great-grandchildren, Evan, Ava and Owen. Surviving sisters are Dorothy Roggin of Detroit, Michigan, Doris Andexler of Cleveland, and JoAnn Donat, of Florida, and one brother Kenneth McIlvaine of Florida. Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association.