Thomas Simmons

Thomas Ray Green Simmons, "Ray," 50, of Houston, TX died unexpectedly on the morning of July 27, 2016 of natural causes. Ray is survived by his new wife Angel, of Houston; his three children, Zachariah and wife Madeleine of Denton, Hyacinth and Atticus of Alvin; his two stepchildren, Andrew and Alyssa Gayle; his parents, Jennie and Jessie Mendoza; his siblings Jay, Andrea, and Boogie; and various beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, nephews and nieces. Ray was preceded in death by his father, John Henry Simmons, and by his brother, Sam. Born February 15, 1966 at Hermann Hospital in Houston, TX, Ray lived most of his life in Sugar Land, Alvin, and Houston, TX. Ray went to high school at Dulles High School in Sugar Land, TX and some years later also attended Alvin Community College. Ray was a pawn broker, a car salesman, and a self-proclaimed shop-keeper for much of his life. The last year of his life was spent lovingly caring for and helping rehabilitate his invalid wife. Ray's proudest accomplishment was raising his three kids, with ex-wife Andrea, into the amazing people they are now. One of Ray's favorite things was to tell everyone of their accomplishments, strength, and intelligence, and the bright futures they all have in store for them. A larger-than-life personality, Ray was the highlight of any gathering. His deep booming voice could be heard no matter how busy or chaotic his surroundings, usually regaling his audience with any of the countless jokes and stories he had collected over the years. Ray was a foodie of long standing. He was a wonderful cook and loved to eat, to experiment with new recipes, and to share his cooking with anyone who liked good food. Thanks to Ray's various careers and to his avid interest in movies, music, TV, documentaries, and, at times, sports, Ray was a font of trivia. However, his keen intelligence went deeper than trivial facts. He understood people, their emotions and motivations, better than most understand themselves. Ray was passionate and full of joy and life. Though he loved a good time as much as anyone, he was not afraid to speak the truth even in uncomfortable or difficult situations. He was very good at using humor to get his point across, sometimes cuttingly if he felt it necessary. Ray was a man of strong and unyielding principals, a man of honor and integrity, and a man who understood his own worth and refused to accept shabby treatment from anyone. While this created some enemies, those who could take it learned from him and grew into better people because of his influence. Ray was unique among men and will be greatly missed. His memorial service is Tuesday, August 9th at 7 PM at Integrity Funeral Care. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in his name to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

Service Information

August 9, 2016 7:00pm, Integrity Funeral Care