Ray Eldridge Birdwell

My beloved Father, Ray Eldridge Birdwell, nicknamed Daddio by me, age 90 of Holdenville, Oklahoma, passed away January 22, 2022. He was born in Henderson, Texas to Trula Fae True and Dayton Birdwell.

Ray lived in Tyler, Texas for a short time. He attended Adamson High School and graduated in 1949. His fi rst job in Dallas as a teenager was at a popcorn plant. His family moved to Malvern, Arkansas and that is where he met and married Rosemary Dedman, my mom. Their fi rst date was at a watermelon throwing contest.

In 1952 they moved back to Texas. He began a career as a salesman and eventually had his own insurance agency for fi fteen years in Duncanville, Texas, Ray Birdwell Farmers Insurance Agency. In 1970, my parents divorced. My dad stayed in Texas until the late 80’s. After that he moved to Holdenville, Oklahoma to be the caregiver for his mother and his stepfather. My father struggled with his faith after his mother passed until he found First Assembly of God Church in Holdenville. He was fi nally where he needed to be.

He dedicated his life to Christ and his faith grew by leaps and bounds. He loved his church and the people in it. He was the landscaper for the church grounds for years, cooked the men’s group breakfast and attended the choir as the lead bass singer. He was in a quartet with Brother Jennings, Brother York and Brother Quillen. Dad also played the organ at the church at times.

Dad loved music and he was a talented artist. He sold his oil paintings for a short while when I was a teenager. As a child I would play music on the radio, and he could tell me the name of every singer and what song they were singing. We loved playing that game. Sometimes he pretended to let me win. My Dad was a caring, kind and funny man. He could not tell a joke without laughing all the way through it. It took him forever to get to the punch line. We spoke on the phone almost every night at midnight. We were both night owls. I already have missed three of our midnight calls. We facetimed at the hospital a few hours before he died. Through his mask, with closed eyes he smiled at me when I told him how much I loved him.

Dad is survived by wife, Tonya L. Birdwell; daughter Mary Ray Birdwell and husband Nico; granddaughter Mindy Michelle Matthews; and great-grandchildren Bradyn and Kenady.

Dad was preceded in death by his brother, Dayton Birdwell, sister, Carol Sheppard, many half-brothers and one half-sister, and a niece he met later in life.

Due to COVID there will be no service held in Dallas at this time. We will however hold a memorial service in the spring, and it will be available online to be viewed. You can check out dad’s Facebook page at Ray Birdwell or my Facebook, Mary R. Birdwell. Thank you for being a part of my dad’s life. If you were in his life, he adored you!

Thank you to Faith Hospice and all the Angels that attended to my dad his last few months, Kristen, Jennifer, Brenda, and Lisa. They took great care of my dad, and he appreciated their loving care. Also, my gratitude to all those who carried him to his doctor appointments or helped him around his house doing odd jobs for him. To Pastor Lewis and his wife thank you for the phone calls of compassion to me after his passing. My Dad adored you. God bless you. In lieu of fl owers please donate to the American Cancer Soci.