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Ray T was born November 29, 1966, in Lufkin, Texas, to Raymond and Margie Tomez. Ray entered the arms of Jesus on March 17, 2023. He was welcomed with open arms, first by his beloved mother and then by God. We know he was welcomed home with a well-done, good, and faithful servant. His family and loved ones will celebrate his life on Saturday, March 25th, at 11:00 a.m. at Shafer funeral home. The visitation will be Friday, March 24th, from 6 to 8 p.m. Ray’s wishes were to be cremated. Ray fell in love with horses at a young age; he spent many days with his dad and uncles riding, training, and hanging out. Ray had a true talent when it came to horses. His sweetheart called him the horse whisper; he referred to himself as an equine podiatrist. Ray was self-employed for 30-plus years as a professional Farrier, although he never saw it as a job. He loved being outdoors and meeting new people; if you truly knew Ray, you knew he loved talking. He never met a stranger. When he was not training or shoeing horses, he was on his mower, keeping his yard and his father-in-law’s yard immaculate. Ray also, in his free time, loved to hunt for bigfoot. He and Jana went on many adventures looking for him. Unfortunately, Ray never found him. Jana asked what they were going to do if they found him. Ray told her all I got to do was outrun you. Ray loved to pick and laugh; he lived life to the fullest and faced every trial positively. His favorite saying was I don’t have to. I get to. He never took one day for granted. He loved big, and those closest to him knew he loved them. You never had to wonder how he felt about you. Ray loved and served God in every aspect of his life. His love and faith shined through everything he did. His faith never wavered, no matter what he had to face. Ray grew up with his sidekick and sister, Traci McClure of Diboll. He loved Pee Wee unconditionally, even when she hit him in the head with spoons. She thought she could do everything her big bubba could do, from bikes to horses to riding motorcycles. If Ray did it, she had to do it too. They were inseparable. Ray’s older brother Terry Glenn of Denton, had a special place in Ray’s heart, and he cherished the time they had spent together in recent years. He never did get the chance to steal that gas from Melva or get his coke and slim Jim. Ray met the love of his life back in high school, one of his best friends’ sisters. However, it was not time for them to be together in God’s plan or in his best friend’s plan either. Friendship meant something back then, so if your friend said that’s my sister. She is off-limits. You respected that. Ray and Jana’s paths crossed many times during their early years. Remember, it is all in God’s time, not ours. First, He needed to meet the next love of his life in December 1986. He did just that when his baby cakes Jessica
Athey was born. Ray adored and raised Jessica with love and kindness; he said it was one of his greatest gifts and honors from God being her dad. Ray and Jana married according to God’s plan later in life. Their love for each other was deep, true, and lasting. They never left each other’s side, spending every minute they could together riding horses, chasing bigfoot, or just being home and enjoying their grandchildren. God and faith were first in their marriage, meeting each bump in the road head-on and hand-in-hand. They promised each other forty years after they married. Since they knew they had started their life together in their later years, they counted their years in dog years, so they lived, loved, and laughed most of the time inappropriately for 42 years. Fulfilling their promise to each other.
Ray’s next love was his grandchildren, who called him grand poppa. That name was given to him by his compadre Owen. Being a grand poppa was not something he took lightly. He spent every minute he could with Matthew, Ryder, Dusty, Owen, and Adlee. He made every baseball, basketball, and dance recital he could. He taught them about God and the importance of always following God’s path. He would drop everything to pick one of them up, take lunch to the school, and babysit anything they
needed. He was there. Ray also was a bonus dad and dad in love to Amisha and Jared, Jake and Kasey, Tyrel and Trey. He also held a very special place in his heart for his compadres mother, Regina.
He was also survived by: Father and Mother-in-Law, Gayland and Elaine Wallace of Lufkin. Aunt Mildred Forrest of Huntington. Uncle and Aunt Pat and Ann Tomez of Lufkin. Aunt and Uncle Jeanette and Joe Bob Neal of Lufkin. Aunt Ruby Johnson, Uncle L. L Collins. Brother-in-law and longtime friend Tom Hutchison of Tatum, Steve Hutchison of Tatum, Kelly and Evalyn Hutchison of Tatum, and Eric and Liz Hutchison of Grapevine. Foy and Yvette Wallace of Corpus Christi Long-time friends Ben and Tiffany Brittain and sons Lariat, Chandler, and Ryland of Florida, former Joaquin TxAlong with numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and other family members. Ray was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Margie Tomez, grandparents, sister-in-law Julie Hutchison Gilcrease, and brother-in-law Dennis Hutchison. And two bonus sisters. Also, special friend and sister in Christ Sharon Boins.
Honorary Pallbearers will be his boys, as he so fondly called them Jake, Trey, Jared, and Tyrel
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