Roll Call Tribute

Raymond James Friedmann
November 20, 1942 - October 11, 2021

Raymond James Friedmann Sr. died on October 11, 2021, at the age of 78 after a courageous battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Ray passed peacefully with family at his side at his son’s home in Oregon. He is survived by his wife Carol Ann Hockaday of 53 years; five children Ray Jr., William, Cathy (Kallus), Laura (Cummings) and Jonathan; nine grandchildren Sophia, Cameron, Eva, Nicolas, Ceriwen, Charlie, Allison, Samantha and Sarah, brother Robert and sisters Cleta (Howell), Marie (Cottrell) and twin sister Jermaine (Holden).

Ray was born on November 20, 1942 in Brownsville Texas, to Ralph and Sarah Friedmann the youngest of eight children.

Ray was a proud graduate of St. Joseph Academy (class of 1962) where he excelled in academics and every sport. He went on to Texas A&M University, earning two degrees in Accounting and Mechanical Engineering.

He worked hard all his life and provided for his family with a variety of careers that included: serving as a Math teacher and football coach at his alma mater St. Joseph’s, as well as a computer engineer at NCR, in Brownsville; a Federal Court officer and a contracted federal investigator with top security clearance in Houston; and an Accountant for his eldest brother’s nurse staffing business in Little Rock.

Once retired, as a jack of all trades, Ray often served as a handyman in his local communities of Austin and Houston, helping anyone in need with an extra pair of hands, a shoulder to lean on, sage advice or a tool, despite the fact he could rarely find the tools he misplaced and jokingly blamed everyone else for hiding them.

Despite our family’s grief, we are also grateful that he is once again able to be the Ray we all remember so fondly. Ray always had a passion for life, and he lived all his years as a happy-go-lucky person. He enjoyed his friends, sports, and helping others. He was often first at any Pachanga, and certainly the last to leave. One of his favorite sayings was, “ahi te guacho,” which translates to “love you see you later.” And, he truly did want to see you later.

In fact, he never met a stranger, and everyone he met was instantly his best friend. He loved his family and treated his friends like family, referring to them as his gango or gangito. He also loved to share stories, whether they were true or not, mostly followed by a big hearty laugh! He was fun, kind, charismatic, inquisitive, and smart.

The Indians of Oaxaca called him one last time, and he said “ahi te gaucho gango!” In accordance with Ray’s wishes, he will be cremated; services are planned for a later date .

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in Ray’s name may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011 or online at http://act.alz.org.

Last, as a family, we would like to express our gratitude for the amazing support/care for the Hospice support/nurses in League City and in Portland.

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