Leona Blanche Ray
AGE: 79
DIED: February 12, 2009, in Pampa, Texas
SERVICES: 2:00 PM Monday, at Memory Gardens Mausoleum, with Corey Searl, her grandson, who is with Victory Life ministries from Seguin, officiating.
BURIAL: Memory Gardens Cemetery under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors.
BIOGRAPHY: Mrs. Ray was born March 18, 1929 in Dalhart to A. L. and Mary White. She attended schools in Dalhart. She was a seamstress and homemaker. Leona married Robert Ray in 1984. She was preceded in death by her husband: Robert Ray; 2 daughters: Karla Cho and Julie Vinson; 1 son: Hank Vinson; 1 sister: Nello Beth Willoughby; and her parents: Aram and Mary White.
SURVIVORS: 6 sons: Steve Vinson and Scott Vinson, both of Amarillo, Tracy Vinson and Jimmy Vinson and wife Shirley, all of Austin, David Vinson and wife Tracye of Seabrook, and Jeff Vinson of Pampa; 3 daughters: Cheryl Vinson, Terry Searl and husband Danny, all of Pampa, and Kelly Richey and husband Charles of Amarillo; 1 daughter-in-law: Pam Brown of Austin; 22 grandchildren: Andrew Vinson, Ashlee Vinson, Jeffrey Vinson, Sierra Vinson, Jaycob Vinson, Tracie Jolic, Brent Noble, Christy McCollum, Corey Searl, Bryan Vinson, Stephanie Vinson, David Gruber, Lindsey Cho, Matthew Cho, Amanda Richey, Allison Richey, Ryan Richey, Terry Lynn, Stephanie, Brian Vinson and David Vinson; 16 great-grandchildren: Peyton Vinson, Emily Vinson, Gregory Vinson, Tessa Noble, Joshua Noble, Gracie Noble, Haley Jolic, Layla Jolic, Alexandra Jolic, Hannah McCollum, Hope McCollum, Kelly Gruber, Michael Gruber, Thomas Vinson, Chloe Vinson and Haylie Vinson; 1 sister: Doris Dando and husband Jim of Springfield, Missouri; 2 brothers: Ernie White of Houston and Irvin White and wife Lou Ann of Temple.
MEMORIALS: BSA Hospice, 800 N. Sumner, Pampa, Texas 79065, or the Harvest House, 736 S. Cuyler, Pampa, Texas 79065.
This wouldn't mean anything to any casual reader of this blog, and even my friends and family who drop by probably wouldn't recognize the name.
"Mizz Ray", as I called her, was the mother of one of my very best friends I've ever had, Julie, who passed away about five years ago.
Mizz Ray was a lot of fun to be around; she had a good sense of humor and a native intelligence that lent itself to that extremely rare quality: common sense. I often went to her for advice on different things, especially those that I would've had some trouble talking about to my own mother. I was always welcomed in her home and if I was hungry when I got there, I never was when I left.
Even after Julie passed away, I tried to keep up with Mizz Ray and would see her youngest son around town and tell him to tell her that I asked about her. She and I both loved Charley Pride's music and as I sit here, am looking at a "mix" CD that I had made several years ago for her of his best songs. I should've gone by and visited, but it seemed I always had something to do and would forget or put it off until "tomorrow".
RIP Mizz Ray.
4 comments:
I am looking for some one who knew Julie. I knew a Julie Vinson in the early 70's she came from Pampa.
Yes, I knew her very well. As the article says, she passed away several years ago and was one of my very best friends.
Thanks for posting.
Randy, I deleted your personal information because if you leave your email addy it WILL be picked up by the spammer bots and your inbox will be deluged with unwanted email. Ditto for your phone number because it too will be picked up and used by shady telemarketers. Trust me, I know from personal experience.
I'm sure it's the same Julie; as far as I know, there was only one Vinson family in Pampa. Mrs. Ray married Buck Ray but the kids all kept the Vinson name.
I first met Julie when she was around that same age. She used to go to a local bar named "Sissy's" (yep, she was underage) I thought she was as cute as a bug, but she didn't look twice at me.
I'd see her around some with her brother Scott, and she and him came over to my house not long after I was married. I didn't see much of her until after I got divorced, then we dated off and on for something like 20 yrs!
I hadn't seen her for a while, then on my birthday I had a note on my door, wishing me the best, saying we should get together, she'd been lonely.
Long story short, she came over one night, then I had to work the next, then was off and she came over again. She passed away in her sleep the next day.
I was devastated, of course. Like I said, she was one of my very best friends I've ever had.
As I type this, I'm doing a search to see if I still have a photo of her on this computer, but I might not. I hope I have it stored somewhere online. I sure thought I had posted a memorial to her I had made, but perhaps not. (I did in an MSN Group I used to have)
The search just turned up her photo. I'll pass it along to you; she doesn't look a lot different than she did when she was a kid, so I expect you'll recognize her.
Her obit can be found here: Julie Beth Vinson
Regards.
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