Hubert Ray Tarver passed away quietly and peacefully at the age of 93, surrounded by his family. He was born in Rotan, Texas, the eighth of nine children, to James L. and Elpha McLaughlin Tarver. He grew up around Franklin and Normangee and was only 16 when his father died. Not having a father at an early age helped him form a strong work ethic that served him well his entire life. Ray entered the Navy in WWII and was stationed in the South Pacific, on the island of Espiritu Santo, where he rose to the rank of Petty Officer First Class. He served as an Aviation Metalsmith, repairing battle damage on Navy aircraft. He said often times, that repairs were so hurried between missions that machine gun bullet holes were sometimes covered with masking tape as a temporary fix before they were sent out again on their next mission. After the war, while working in St. Louis, Ray met and married Loyola Veronica Teson. They had two children before moving the family to Dallas, Texas where a third child was born. He then went to work for Dow Chemical in 1950, so they moved to the Freeport area, where they had three more children. He was a hard working Boilermaker/Welder for Dow and retired in 1982, but continued to work with his horses, gardening and any kind of problem that could be fixed with an arc welder, of which he was a Master. He once put a local rancher's brand on a Brahma bull with the use of his "cracker-box" welding machine, a tow chain and a willing and gullible son and daughter-in-law. Ray never met a stranger and anytime anybody needed help, he was there and was generous to a fault. More than a few times, you could find him sharing his expertise with others who found themselves with a water well problem. In the early 60's, he became instrumental in starting the Freeport Girls Softball League, where he coached and participated in numerous tournaments. As long as he could, Ray enjoyed dancing and never quite found a way to stop flirting. With a love of country music, (especially Charlie Pride, whom he met on several occasions) he would accompany the songs with an enthusiasm you could hear far and wide. As recently as a couple of weeks ago, he still played a mean game of dominoes. His mental capacity and quick wit remained, even as his body began its exit strategy. His most sincere desire was to be able to stay in the home he and Loyola had built, until he drew his last breath, because he loved his land and was proud of what they had accomplished. Preceding him in death are many, but to name a few, both his parents; all eight siblings; a number of nieces and nephews; grandson, James Michael Tarver; son-in-law, Mike Van Horn; grandson-in-law, Jon Greene; former wife, Loyola; stepson, Nils Ruthstrom; and second wife, Renee Ruthstrom Tarver. Survivors include his six children, James (Connie) Tarver, of Clute, Chris Van Horn, of Lake Jackson, Kat (Brad) Roebuck, of Missouri City, Dan (Carolyn) Tarver, of Freeport, Dawn (Joe) Garrett, of Lake Jackson, and Stacey Ferrari, of Farmers Branch; leaving a legacy of 12 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and three great great-grandchildren; and one faithful Walker Hound, Hannah. Also surviving are his stepchildren, Sven Ruthstrom, of Lake Jackson, Signe Dodd, of Brazoria, Kurt Ruthstrom, of Lake Jackson, and Ingrid Traylor, of West Columbia; their spouses, children and grandchildren. Sincere gratitude is felt for the many acts of kindness from neighbors like and Ben and Lee Mikel, Ted Lamere, and William and Christine Lewis, along with all his caregivers over the years to include Gina, Janet, Liz, Brenda, Alicia, and others. We will be forever grateful to his most recent caregivers, Rachel Purser and her daughters, Valerie and Allison and especially Ray's daughter-in-law, Carolyn, for the round-the-clock compassionate care shown to our father in his final days. He will be greatly missed! Until we meet again Dad, "Loved you then, love you still. Always have, always will." In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Helping Hands and Hearts Hospice, 103 Circle Way, Suite 100, Lake Jackson, TX 77566 (979) 297-3775

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