TYLER — Raymond Leon Garrett, age 89, died peacefully October 31, 2020 from complications of a stroke he suffered in July. He died at his home in Tyler surrounded by his loving family. Born on January 25, 1931 in Shreveport, Louisiana, Ray was the son of James and Helen Garrett.
Ray was a child of the depression and the World War II years, and like many boys his generation he worked many odd jobs. Saving just about everything he earned, Ray was able to put himself through college and graduated from LSU-Baton Rouge, class of 1953 with a degree in chemical engineering.
He immediately found a job with Gulf Oil in Port Arthur, Texas, then answered a newspaper ad for a room to rent. The room was in a house owned by a recent widow who lived with her UT daughter, home for the summer from school. Ray went to the house and rang the doorbell, and the UT co-ed, Flo Thorne answered. Ray noticed Flo’s beautiful smile, and it was an easy decision for him to rent the upstairs room. Flo returned to Austin in August and Ray was sent to San Antonio for Army duty. He was a 1st. Lieutenant in the chemical corps. Mainly, he remembered that beautiful smile, and after a year of courtship, Ray and Flo were married in August of 1954. It was like you something you would see in one of those old romantic movies on TV. They had 66 beautiful years of marriage together.
Ray’s career as a chemical engineer was both challenging and interesting. He worked for companies in El Paso, Odessa, Midland and he retired with Howe-Baker Engineers in Tyler after 25 years there. His career took him to many exotic places in Europe, the middle east, Asia and South America. His stories on return would enthrall family members. Flo was just glad for his safe return.
Dad was a real renaissance man, with a wide variety of interests. These include traveling to over 80 countries, both business and pleasure. Flo would accompany him most of the time. He also traveled to all 50 US states. Also included in these travels were many family vacations, including one three-week monster vacation where the entire family piled into a Chevy Impala in 1969 and drove from Texas up to Lake Louise, Canada and back. Somehow everyone was speaking to each other at trip’s end. Ray loved reading, working in his yard and watching and listening to opera music. He especially loved watching sports, such as football, basketball, baseball and horse racing. Most of all, he loved watching (and going to) games played by the athletic teams of his alma mater, the LSU Tigers. Geaux Tigers, Dad!
He was a long-time member of 1st Presbyterian church in Tyler. Dad was a sensitive person who always had a soft spot in his heart for the downtrodden and the underdog.
Ray is survived by his loving wife Flo; his three children Carol (Mark) Swanson of Dallas, Susie (Keith) McCullough of Tyler and Robert (Lori) Garrett of Richardson. He’s also survived by nine wonderful grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren. He is survived by his sister, Sara Garrett of North Little Rock, Ark., a sister-in-law Virginia Avery of Port Arthur, Tx. and many loving nephews, a niece and their children. A special thanks to Encompass Home Health Care and Hospice of East Texas for the excellent care provided by their therapists and nurses, and a very special thanks to Diana from Visiting Angels for her wonderful, loving care of Dad.
Dad, we love you and will miss you. We know how much you loved all of us. But especially, it’s so wonderful how much you loved mom. Thank goodness you chose to answer that ad and ring that doorbell so long ago. After all, it ended up being the stuff movies are made of.
Memorials may be made to 1st Presbyterian Church of Tyler, TX. Or Hospice of East Texas.
A private family graveside service will be held Thursday, November 5, under the direction of Lloyd James funeral home.