Clossie Ray Program

How to describe Clossie Dean Ray? Funny. Uplifting. Generous. Beloved. Devoted. Clossie Dean Austin was born on July 6, 1959 to Mary Lee Johnson and Dero Austin Sr. in Grandfield, Oklahoma. She left this physical realm on April 7, 2023 in Fort Worth, Texas. Clossie loved fiercely, laughed loudly, played hard, and gave generously. Life was always for living, and she was never interested in watching it just go by. Clossie was never content in letting things just happen; she pushed herself and others to their greatest potential. Clossie grew up in Grandfield, Oklahoma as the youngest daughter in a family of nine children. She played volleyball, basketball (back when girls played half-court), softball, and ran track. She was also a cheerleader and a constant presence on the Grandfield Bearcat honor roll. She graduated in 1977 and briefly attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma. She took time off from school to get married and raise a family. She later returned to school and obtained her bachelor's degree from Central State University in Edmond, Oklahoma and her master's degree from Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas – all while working full-time and being an active mother to two children. Clossie met the love of her life, Bobby, when she was six years old after he and his family moved next door to her family. Her closest friends were Bobby's cousin, Debra, and his younger sisters, Sharon and Phyllis. She stayed firmly in the “annoying little sister” category until the fall of Bobby's sophomore year in college. He came home and noticed that Clossie, now a senior in high school, had gotten “kinda fine”. While his cousin, Maurice, was chatting with Clossie on the phone one evening, Bobby hovered around Maurice waiting for an excuse to talk to her. When she said that she was in her kitchen cooking, Bobby saw his opening. He asked her to bake him a cake; she obliged. The next day he went by, and she presented him with a “Sock it to Me” cake. They got married a year later on December 19, 1977. Their first child, Tamla, was born on January 8, 1979; their son, Cedric, was born on December 22, 1982. Clossie and Bobby moved from Oklahoma to Texas (where Tamla was born) then on to Washington State (where Cedric was born), then back to Oklahoma, and finally settled in Arlington, Texas in 1989. Teaching soon developed as Clossie's passion. She secured her first teaching job in 1989 as a special education teacher at Bebensee Elementary. She later became a special ed teacher at Wedgwood Middle School. Clossie then promoted to assistant principal at Dunbar Middle School. Her last position at Fort Worth ISD was an instructional support team coordinator where she dedicated her time, talent, and energy to helping other teachers reach their fullest potential. (At some point, she taught reading to inmates at Seagoville Federal Corrections –and became a pretty good marksman.) In 2002, Clossie left Fort Worth ISD and changed her career to sales. She was phenomenal. She quickly became known for her smile, wit, knowledge, and persistence in the educational software sales field. She traveled all over the country selling various educational support programs. She remained in this field until she retired in 2021. Clossie discovered her passion for – let's face it – obsession with golf in her 40s. What started out as a way to spend time with Bobby quickly became a defining part of her life. Clossie never spent more than a few days (even during chemo treatments) away from the golf course...and she was GOOD. She won several tournaments and made lasting friendships with her fellow golfers. She could (and did) spend hours upon hours talking about every tiny detail involved in her tournament wins. She was a fierce competitor but also her teammates' biggest cheerleader. Clossie became a Christian at an early age. Her spiritual gift was giving. No one shared their blessings more freely and joyfully than Clossie did. She gave generously to family, friends, and strangers. She rarely passed a person in need without stopping to give them whatever she had: money, a ride, bags of groceries, or a family size order of fried chicken (true story). “Aunt Clossie's” greatest joys came from helping her large extended family. She adored her siblings, nieces, nephews, godchildren, and “god-grandchildren”. She knew no greater pleasure than helping them get into college, buy their first house, or develop as professionals. She would even scour the stores on Christmas Eve getting them some really ugly sneakers that were apparently “hot in the streets.” Clossie was always full of advice and thoughtful words of encouragement. Friends and family often sought her counsel for overcoming challenges – both professionally and personally. Among her proudest achievements and greatest loves were her two children, Tamla and Cedric. Clossie poured so much love and support into “Lucy and Ced”. Her love for them will reverberate across time, space, and dimensions. Her relationship with them will not end just because she no longer occupies physical space in this realm. Clossie was preceded in death by her grandparents, mother, father, older brother, Dero Jr., and younger brother, Alvin. Clossie is survived by her husband, Bobby; her children, Tamla and Cedric; her siblings, Erma, Jake, Tommie, Lawrence, Elaine, and Mammie Ann; and many nieces, nephews, godchildren, and two god-grandchildren. Clossie's physical absence will be mourned by all who knew and loved her. But she is not gone. Be still; listen. She still has so much more to say to us.

O FFICIATING Pastor James Womack Sr. Reverend Nathan Edmond W ELCOME /W ORDS OF C ELEBRATION Pastor Womack O RDER OF C ELEBRATION Reverend Edmond S CRIPTURE 2 Corinthians 5:8 Reverend Edmond A L IFE S O B EAUTIFULLY L IVED Jermaine Austin S ONG Believe For It R EMARKS M EMORIES OF A B EAUTIFUL L IFE Produced by Harold Schuman E ULOGY Pastor Womack A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Family of Clossie Ray C LOSING R EMARKS Reverend Nathan Edmond

“For we walk by faith, not by sight— but we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” --- 2 Corinthians 5:7,8

Bobby, Tamla, and Cedric

Clossie has chosen cremation as her final disposition. -F INAL A RRANGEMENTS E NTRUSTED T O - J OHN E. B ECKWITH

J OHN E. B ECKWITH , J R . - CEO & O WNER D ALLAS , T EXAS 214-941-7332 F ORT W ORTH , T EXAS 817-478-9555 T ALLULAH , L OUISIANA 318-574-6100 WWW . GOLDENGATEFUNERALHOME . COM