Rayfus “Ray” J. Premeaux, 89, of Nederland, died Tuesday, June 17, 2014, at Harbor Hospice, Beaumont. A native of Nederland, he was born on January 27, 1925, to Lora Premeaux and Sevene Premeaux.
There were ten boys (three sets of twins) and four girls in Ray’s family. Mayo Premeaux was the oldest, Karis “T Bay” Premeaux, Ray and his twin, who died soon after birth, Preston “Pete” James Premeaux and Nelson “T Fat” Premeaux, Gerald Premeaux and Derald Premeaux, Lorena Premeaux Patton, LouAnna “Blackie” Premeaux Chatagnier, Mildred Pearce Premeaux, Mabel Premeaux Paige, and two infant boys that died before the age of 4. Ray was the last one to pass away.
Ray grew up in Nederland and attended Nederland High School until he dropped out to help his father drive a taxi cab. When he was twenty-one, he went to work for Olin Matheson Chemical Company for thirty-five years until he retired in 1985.
After retirement Ray had many hobbies. He enjoyed watching football and politics. He knew everything about them and could talk about them for hours. Ray enjoyed working in his yard growing flowers and vegetables. He was proud of everything he produced and loved to share it. His favorite flower was the Amaryllis which had many colors. You could find him in his yard from sun up to sun down until Nelda made him come in for dinner.
Ray’s other interests included coin collecting, brass collecting, and following the Texas Lottery with homemade machines and a fourteen column ledger book tracking all the daily numbers. He was a homebody and was the happiest in his yard, or watching sports. Ray loved the holidays and decorated the yard for every occasion. He continued to do so until he couldn’t climb a ladder anymore.
Ray’s favorite past time in his later years was going to Market Basket to drink coffee with the guys. He would go twice a day. His favorite day was wearing his blue jumpsuit, eating a bologna sandwich on his back porch. Ray was a hardworking and hard headed man with a big heart.
Survivors include his wife of twenty years, Nelda Hughes Premeaux; son, Rayfus Joseph Broussard and his wife, Janey; grandchildren, Ryan of Dallas; Clare Jackson and her husband, Stewart, of Kingwood; Mary Ellen of Houston; and Anna of New York City; great-grandson, Benjamin Thomas Jackson; sister-in-law, Lou Ellen Permenter and her husband, Rick, of Magnolia.
A gathering of Mr. Premeaux’s family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Thursday, June 19, 2014, at Broussard’s, 505 North 12th Street, Nederland. His funeral service will be 2:00 p.m., Friday, June 20, 2014, at Broussard’s, with interment to follow at Memory Gardens of Jefferson County, Nederland.
