Roll Call Tribute

Ray Todd Vanderpool 

August 25, 1956 - December 27, 2023 

Ray Todd Vanderpool, 67, of Collierville, Tennessee passed from this life to his heavenly Father on December 27, 2023, at home where he wanted to be, surrounded by his wife and son. Born on August 25, 1956 in Tyler, Texas to the late Ray Leland Vanderpool and Patricia Ware Vanderpool, he was the youngest of four. 

It was at John Marshall High School in San Antonio, Texas where he met his wife, Lee Ann Ray, at the age of 16. From the moment he met her, he adored her until his last day here on earth.

Tremendously proud to claim Texas A&M University as his alma mater, he graduated with a BBA in Finance and Economics. Even still in his last days, Todd managed to catch a few Aggie games on TV during this football season. Todd received a graduate degree in banking from the Graduate School of Banking of the South at LSU. He was a skilled business man throughout his career, the youngest man to lead a bank in Dallas in the mid 1980’s, leading 2 banks through mergers, later going into distressed institutions and reorganizing them into stable businesses. It was once said by a Federal Regulator that Todd “had done the impossible” in a bank rescue that they thought could never be saved. He was loved by many of his employees and coworkers for whom he cared deeply. 

Todd was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness of his sins and salvation with Him for eternity since the age of 6. He loved his wife, family, friends, employees and country. Todd led his family well in modeling his faith. He was straightforward in speech and was compelled to speak truth, and through trials and time his heart softened. His main motivator was love for people and their need for salvation in Jesus Christ. When Todd received the terminal Glioblastoma diagnosis, he had the gift of knowing he would soon see his Lord, Jesus, along with the unexpected gift of several additional years of life. These were gifts because of what he chose to do with them. He spent his final years sharing the most important thing in his life to anyone who would listen, or read his emails: the gospel and the hope he had in Christ Jesus. Facing death enabled him with a boldness that was challenging and inspiring to other believers, which friend Ron Man urged him to do after the initial diagnosis. 

Todd was a long time member of First Evangelical Church, Memphis, and loved his Sunday School class, Jt. Heirs’. He was on multiple civic and charitable boards, loved his family, friends, hunting, fishing, motorcycling (to all lower 48 states and Ontario), bridge, teaching, reading the Bible and his Doberman, Esther.

Todd leaves behind his wife of 44 years, Lee Ann; daughter, Lauren Fitzgerald (Andrew) and their children, Elizabeth, AJ, Ezra and Grace; son, John (Emily) and their boys, Weston and Hunter; sister Vici Vanderpool; sister Jan Stark (Bubba); big brother Milton Vanderpool (Cathy); brother in law Jeff Ray (Cindy); and 7 nieces and nephews.

A memorial service officiated by Dr. Ron Man will be held Sunday, February 4 at First Evangelical Church at 735 Ridge Lake Blvd, Memphis, TN, 38120. Visitation will begin at 2:00 PM with the service following at 3:00 PM. 

IN THE CARE OF
Collierville Funeral Home