Ray Warner

ODESSA, TX - Ray Warner passed away on May 11, 2022 at Medical Center Hospital, following a brief illness. He was born on May 26, 1929 in Howard County, Texas to Ernest Lee and Emma Parten Warner, the 5th of 7 children. In his early years, he moved all over Texas while working with his family farming and sharecropping. He lived most of his life in Odessa, graduating from Odessa High School in 1949, where he was a member of the Golf Team and the 1946 State Championship football team.

He was a longtime member of Sherwood Church of Christ. He was an avid golfer and an ardent fan of the Texas Longhorns, Dallas Cowboys, and Texas Rangers. He was quite a character, very funny and a great storyteller. He was very talented in carpentry and built many beautiful pieces for his friends and family. When he was in his 70s, he built a cabin in Cloudcroft, fulfilling a lifelong dream.

He joined the U.S. Army and served during the Korean War from 1952 - 1953, he then served in the reserves and was honorably discharged in 1961 with the rank of corporal. He received a National Defense Service Medal and Good Conduct Medal during this time.

After the Army, he attended Odessa College for two years. He was a very hard worker. He began watering the greens at Odessa Country Club when he was a teenager, and became an assistant golf professional. He worked with his brother building houses in Odessa, and then for Gulf Oil Corporation, and Eastman Oil Well Survey for 37 years, starting out sweeping floors, and ending up as the District Directional Drilling Supervisor. He took an early retirement, but continued to work as a consultant for Smith International, Halliburton and Dig.

He was a wonderful son, brother, friend, father, uncle, grandfather and great grandfather. He will be forever missed. He was affectionately known as "GGOP" - Great Grand Old Peepaw. He was predeceased by his parents; brothers: Juel, Troy and Connie; sisters: Zona Day and Ruby Weiss; and two sons: Ben and Stuart. He is survived by his daughters: Mary "Florency" Massengill (Mike) of Corpus Christi and Becky "Doos" Hall (Johnny) of Odessa; grandsons: Jeremy Dean (Callie) of Corpus Christi, Justin Dean (Trista) of Odessa, and Michael Atkins of Odessa, and Cody Warner of Bismarck, North Dakota; granddaughter: "Sugar" Beth Atkins of Colorado Springs; great grandsons: Jay and Ricky Dean, and Rhett Dean; great granddaughter: Remi Dean; sister: June King (B.H.) of Eastland; nephews: Bruce King (Julie) of Eastland and Freddy Weiss of Midland; and nieces: Anita Carpenter (Sam) of Dallas and Linda Durham of Richardson; countless friends and extended family.

Viewing will be Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Services will be held at Acres West Funeral Home in West Odessa on Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 10:00 a.m., with Lynn Money officiating. Burial will follow at Ector County Cemetery.

Arrangements are entrusted to Acres West Funeral Chapel in Odessa, TX. Condolences to the family may be made online at acreswestfuneral.com

Pallbearers will be Johnny Hall, Mike Massengill, Jeremy Dean, Justin Dean, Michael Atkins, and Bruce King.