Raymond Pounds Spradling Jr. passed from this world at the age of 86 years old and stepped into the presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 at his home in Buda, Texas. He was born on March 1, 1933 in Buda, Texas and he was the eldest of 5 children. He attended school in Buda, Texas and completed the 9th grade before working full time to help support his mother and his younger siblings. In 1953, at the age of 23, he enlisted into the United States Marines where he served in the Korean War and worked as a mechanic. He was Honorably Discharged on December 15, 1955. During his time at Camp Pendleton, California, he began writing letters to Carol Ann Booker (sister of his fellow Corpsman, Paul Booker) who lived in Wolcott, CT. They corresponded via mail until he was discharged from the Marines. In 1956, he proposed to Carol via a US Postal Service letter. To “confirm” his proposal acceptance, Raymond travelled from Austin, TX to Wolcott, CT, where he met Carol in person for the very first time. Their first meeting was when he walked into the grocery store to an ink-smeared face of Carol, wearing his Cowboy hat, bolo tie and Cowboy boots. During his time in CT, he worked as an Apprentice Printer at Hildreth Press in Hartford, CT.
Raymond and Carol were married on August 18, 1956 in Bristol, CT. and they had 5 children, Mark, Tom, Arthur, Shawn and Joy. They lived in Wolcott, CT for 15 years before moving to Austin, TX in 1971. In 1977, they adopted Cathy Black Spradling. Raymond began working for the Austin American Statesman on November 15, 1971 and worked there 24 years before retiring on January 1, 1996.
To his acquaintances, Raymond was called “Ray”. To his closest family & friends they called him “Bubba”. His children called him “Dad” and his grandchildren and hundreds of others who developed a very close and unique relationship with him, they called him “Papa”. He was the best true cowboy husband, father, brother, uncle and friend ever!!! He was kind, hilarious, extremely hard-working, loyal, strong, a man of integrity and extremely loving. He taught others the value of hard work, how to maintain a good name, how to sacrifice and serve others and what it means to honor his lifetime commitment to his wife of 50 years and his children. He was rarely concerned with his own needs but instead he focused on the needs of others. When you began a conversation with him, the first thing he always asked was “are you doing okay?” Raymond was a cowboy, a hunter, a veteran. He loved to hunt, fish, drive old cars, watch Western movies, listen to Marty Robbins and Hank Williams Jr, smoke briskets, cook beans or chili, play horseshoes, play dominos, whistle and sing (with or without music) with his singing groups, which also included his sister, Fay. He had a dry sense of humor, he picked on and teased those he loved and he reinforced the sense of duty to God, Family and Country in his everyday life.
Raymond is preceded in death by his father, Raymond Pounds Spradling Sr., his mother, Thelma Cleo Waggoner, his wife of 50 years, Carol Ann Booker Spradling, his brother, Charles Caston Spradling of Austin, TX., his sister Jerilyn Lanelle Spradling Chapman of Dallas, TX., his grandson, Michael Spradling and granddaughter, Jamie Nicole Spradling.
He is survived by his 2 sisters, Fay Maxine Spradling Fletcher of Buda, TX and Laura Joyace Spradling Erickson of Austin, TX., 6 children, Mark Raymond Spradling (daughter-in-law, Marian Susie Penny Spradling) of Lincolnton, SC, Thomas Alan Spradling (daughter-in-law, Theresa Donnelly Spradling) of Austin, TX, Arthur James Spradling (daughter-in-law, Martina Monroy McAllister Spradling) of Taylor, TX, Cathy Black Spradling of Austin, TX., Shawn Adam Spradling (daughter-in-law, Valerie Ramos Spradling) of Cedar Park, TX, Joy Kathleen Spradling Wimmer (son-in-law, Bill Wimmer) of Austin, TX., 19 Grandchildren, 21 Great Grandchildren and 9 Great-Great Grandchildren.
Visitation Services were held at Harrell Funeral Homes, 1715 Kirby, Kyle, TX 78640 from 5-8 PM, Friday, March 8, 2019
Funeral Service were held at First Baptist Church, 104 S. San Marcos St., Buda, TX 78610 on Saturday, March 9, 2019.
In lieu of flowers the family has requested that you make a donation to St. Jude’s Hospital.
