Roll Call Tribute

Raymond Thomas Loney
August 6, 1953 ~ July 24, 2020 (age 66)

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Raymond Loney. Ray lived his life as a role-model for us all, approaching tasks with open arms and an open heart. Throughout life, he always talked fondly of his childhood, parents, siblings, and college friends; passing along stories and wisdom learned. In business, he was proud of his coworkers and the relationships formed when negotiating labor contracts for decades at ExxonMobil. In work, as in life, he valued people and sought to treat all participants with respect and honor to ensure outcomes beneficial to all parties involved. Outside of work is where Ray’s legacies thrived, and where his love of life bloomed. His greatest joys were his wife and children whom he always made an active effort to be with as much as possible, providing an amazing home and childhood. Words fail at describing his commitment to family, and his role at shaping all of our lives.

Ray was born in Denver Colorado on August 6th 1953 to Thomas and Ruth Loney. He grew up in a loving home alongside his two younger sisters Cheryl and Shelley, and little brother Clay. He embraced his love for travel at a young age, attending both Florida Institute of Technology and then Texas A&M Maritime Academy in Galveston. After university, he sailed for the Merchant Marines and Exxon. During these years of seeing the world he took up woodworking and scuba-diving, which he continued enjoying after starting a family. Ray joined with the love of his life, Melinda, in holy matrimony on August 1st 1981 and had three children; Ryan, Daren, and Kevan. He is survived by his wife, three children, two grandchildren, all his siblings, and parents.

Ray’s priority was always his family. He was our anchor; from helping us build elaborate projects, to cheering us on from auditorium stands during school performances. Involved in theater, band, and sports; his interests were molded by his children, providing a guiding hand and encouragement. As his children, we look fondly on the hundreds of family vacations across the country, traveling to swim meets, and the long car rides filled with jokes and laughter. The pride and guidance instilled within us through sport, and being together as family, reverberate through our actions today and will continue into the future. Many of our fondest childhood memories involve the anticipation of these family trips; the inability to sleep the night before we’re awakened by our Dad in his swim referee outfits, at the crack of dawn, to experience another amazing journey.

Although we are all feeling sorrow that Ray is not here to be with us on our next journey, we have no doubt that he would want you all to know that he’s still with us in spirit. He still cheers on our accomplishments, and still mourns with us in our sadness. He is still here, and it’s going to be ok. We will be reunited with him in the coming years to share in laughter and stories once more.

For decades, Dad held the desire for us to hold a celebration of life when his passing finally arrived; a time for family and friends to once again joke, laugh, and embrace the same jovial nature that he carried throughout his years. This is our intention when medical climates in the United States improve, and we welcome everyone to reach out to his facebook page (facebook.com/raymondthomasloney) and the memorial website (raymondloney.com) to stay up to date with future date planning. We intend to share additional stories, photos, and videos through these websites; and welcome your own stories, pictures, and memories of Dad. We love you all, as did Ray.



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