Ramon “Ray” Navarro, Jr., a beloved husband, father, and grandfather, died peacefully, surrounded by his family, on June 18, 2025, in Round Rock, Texas.
Known for his entertaining, albeit long-winded, storytelling, Ray was the life of the party. He could strike up a conversation with anyone and make them feel like an old friend, even if they had only just met. He loved eating a good pizza, jamming out to his tunes (especially 70s folk rock), watching any and all sports on TV, the wisdom of Vonnegut and other dry witted contemporaries, and timing his weekend errands to listen to his favorite talk radio shows like “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me” and “Car Talk.” He often showed his love in quiet ways: buying you little treats like donuts or cookies (and grabbing plenty of napkins!), playing a song he knew you would love, or making sure the cupboard was stocked with your favorite snacks. He loved, and was loved.
Through his family, he passed along his talent for bullshiting, the ability to spin a story out of the most mundane experiences, and the importance of finding humor in life’s nonsense. He experienced challenges, and knew the importance of levity.
Born on December 17, 1954, to Ramon and Annie Navarro, Ray was raised with his brothers, Rudy and Ruben, and his sister, Nancy, in San Antonio, Texas. In 1972, Ray graduated from Texas Military Institute. After graduation, he attended Trinity University off and on before working at Southwest Airlines, where he met his life-long partner, Deborah “Debbie” Denman (whom he often affectionally referred to as “Debber”). They relocated to Dallas in 1978 for work, and in 1981, their first child, Lindsay, was born. Shortly after, Ray and Debbie married on December 31, 1981.
While living in Dallas, Ray began his career in radio and television ad sales, working for radio stations in Fort Worth and Dallas. He and Debbie even ran a cafe in Dallas for a year before moving back to San Antonio where Ray resumed his career in radio and tv ad sales.
In 1988, Ray and Debbie’s second child, Cameron, was born. Over the years, Ray was also a father to many dogs and cats, whom he affectionately called “furry heads” and “knuckle heads” depending on his mood.
In 1999, Ray began working at KNVA and moved his family to Round Rock, where he called home for the last 25 years of his life. In 2002, Ray transitioned from radio/television to software sales, working for Dell and Informatica before retiring in 2023.
As his children grew up, Ray welcomed their partners, Fred and Melanie, into the family. He loved spending time with his many grand-dogs, and was thrilled to become “Gramps” when his grandchild, Davey, was born in 2024.
It is impossible to quantify the impact Ray had on the world. In his 70 years, he touched the lives of many people. He will be missed by his friends and family, including his brothers, Rudy and Ruben, his sisters-in-law, Barbara, Mitzie, Daryl, and Audrey, his brother-in-law, Rick, and many beloved nieces and nephews. Most of all, he will be missed by his loving wife of 43 years, his two children and their partners, and his grandchild, who will grow up hearing many stories about how much Gramps loved him.
Arrangements for a celebration of life are pending.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to a charity of your choice.
“We are stardust, we are golden, we are billion year old carbon, and we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.” -Woodstock, by Joni Mitchell (but he preferred the CSNY version)