Ray Dabney
Submitted by jcht2010 on
Ray Dabney, 67, of Uvalde, passed away in Alpine, Texas on Sept. 15, 2015. He was born Sept.23, 1947 in Munich, Germany to Walter Davis Dabney, Jr. and Charlotte Ramsey. He was the second of nine children.
He attended Texas A&M University in College Station, and was a member of the Corps of Cadets company D-1 “Spider D”, graduating with the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of 1970. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Parks and Recreation. Upon graduation, Ray was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Army, spending 13 months in 1972 and 1973 flying helicopters with the 1st of the 9th Air Cavalry F Troop in Vietnam, earning a Bronze Star and fourteen Air Medals.
After being honorably discharged as a Captain, he spent a short time in Georgia and then returned to Texas and attended graduate school while working at the Lavaca-Navidad River Authority in Edna.
In 1977 he married his sweetheart, Laura Dishman, in Uvalde. During their time in Edna, they had two children. In 1981, the family returned to Uvalde where Ray started working for his father-in-law at Kinney County Wool & Mohair. In 1991, he began working for Del Monte Foods.
Ray was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church, USA and spent a great deal of his time faithfully serving his local church in several capacities. Ray had a beautiful singing voice and was part of the Guitars and Friends group at church, singing for the congregation and various other groups in the community.
Ray is survived by his loving wife of 38 years, Laura; daughter, Charla Jenkins and husband, Richard of Uvalde; son, Major Will Dabney, USAF, and wife, Amy of Ramstein Air Base Germany; one grandson, Truett Jenkins of Uvalde; three granddaughters, Reese Jenkins of Uvalde, Charley Cate Dabney of Germany and Avery Grace Jenkins of Uvalde; and five sisters.
He was preceded in death by his father, Walter Davis Dabney, Jr., his loving stepfather, John W. Smylie, and his beloved mother, Charlotte Ramsey Dabney Smylie.
A service for the celebration of Ray’s life was held at First Presbyterian Church Uvalde, Sept. 23, his 68th birthday.
Memorial gifts in honor of Ray may be made to First Presbyterian Church Uvalde or the American Red Cross.
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