Raymond J. “Ray” Wadenpfuhl, 82, of Beaumont, died Sunday, January 16, 2011. He was born November 22, 1928, in New Orleans, Louisiana to Jacob and Alma Wadenpfuhl, and had been a resident of Beaumont for many years. After thirty-six years of band directing, eighteen of which were at Marshall Middle School, he retired in 1987.
Survivors include his wife of fifty-eight years, Mary Claire Wadenpfuhl of Beaumont; son, Ray “Chip” Wadenpfuhl, Jr. and his wife Linda of Huntsville; daughter, Linda Wadenpfuhl-Jones of Austin; grandchildren, John Wadenpfuhl and his wife Brandy of Saginaw, Lee Wadenpfuhl and his wife Natalie of Boston, Massachusetts, Stephen Wadenpfuhl of Houston, Keileen Schrank, and Lewis Schrank of Chicago, Illinois; great-grandchildren, Dominic and Gabriel Wadenpfuhl of Saginaw; and many other loving family members of which he was so proud.
Ray received his Bachelor of Music Education from Southeastern Louisiana College and his Masters Degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. Ray’s first teaching assignment was at Covington High School in Covington, Louisiana. He later taught at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Mississippi, then he was the elementary school band director in Orange, and Marshall Middle School in Beaumont. Ray taught thousands of students during his long band directing career and his bands always earned top awards at UIL Contests. Ray also received the “Excellence in Music Education” Leadership award from the Texas Music Educators Association. He was a member of the Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Educators Association and the Association of Texas Professional Educators.
Ray was an active member of St. Anne Catholic Church. He spent nineteen years as an usher, helped take care of the plants around the church and spent many hours in the adoration chapel. He was also a member of the St. Anne Catholic Adult Organization and has been a member of the 49+ organization for many years. He also was a sponsor in the RCIA program.
In the community, Ray was active as well. He is a past President of the Lions Club in Orange and past President of the Beaumont Travel and Leisure Club. He was a member of the Beaumont Council of Garden Clubs and the Orchid Society.
Ray was a wonderful, kind and loving husband, father, grandpa, great grandpa, uncle, friend and teacher that will be greatly missed by us all.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:00 a.m., Friday, January 21, 2011, at St. Anne Catholic Church, 2715 Calder Street, Beaumont. A Christian Vigil will be held at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, January 20, 2011, at St. Anne Catholic Church. Burial will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, January 22, 2011, at Pinecrest Memorial Gardens in Covington, Louisiana.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Anne Catholic Church, 2715 Calder Street, Beaumont, TX 77701; or to the Humane Society of Southeast Texas, P.O. Box 1629, Beaumont, Texas 77704.
