ANTONIO, Ray

The White Mountain Independent, Show Low, Arizona ~ 10/06/2015 Ray Antonio went to be with the Lord peacefully and surrounded by loved ones Sept. 22, 2015. He was born Aug. 29, 1934, to Douglas Antonio and Edith Declay Antonio of Cedar Creek and East Fork. Ray grew up in Canyon Day and attended Theodore Roosevelt School in Fort Apache as a child. His hobbies growing up were basketball and baseball games, team roping and calf roping. He was an avid rodeo fan. He loved watching wrestling. He loved to tell stories of the past life, the history of his work, places, some of fun and hard times. He told stories of “it’s a cowboy’s life.” He loved to tell the story of his meeting and marriage of his beloved, Virginia, the arranged marriage, as he lovingly stated. Ray worked for the government as a heavy equipment operator until his retirement from Bureau of Indian Affairs. Ray further volunteered and worked for the police department as a reserve police officer. During Labor Day weekend, the busy weekend for the tribe, he was always there to assist the tribe. Prior to this donation during the Labor Day weekends, and other various weekends, Ray’s time was also spent inside the rodeo arenas. His passion was team roping and calf roping. Ray had one too many cowboy partners who he roped with and won many events as the vhampion and All-Around Cowboy at those events. In his lifetime, he taught his sons to rope and also to be the best. Later, when his grandsons were born, he taught his grandsons to be ropers as well. These boys went on to become legends like their grandpa Ray. He was taught by a champion and all-around cowboy, and so are his grandsons. “The legend lives on — it’s a cowboy’s life.” Ray will be missed by the many family and friends and the community children, all of whom had a nickname to identify them as family. “To us he was Grandpa Ray, the loving man we saw through our eyes, ever so gentle and sweet.” Ray is survived by Richardson Antonio, Annette Antonio, Randy Antonio and Renee A. Burnette; brothers Bruce Antonio, Dewey Cromwell, Tennyson Cromwell and Ramsey Cromwell; sisters Ruby Kinney, Antoinette Antonio, Myrna Antonio, Beatrice Joe and Neva Cosen; 29 grandchildren and 55 great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and three godchildren, Jonathan Baylish, Augustine Bancroft, and Shiya Kasey. He was preceded in death by his parents, Douglas and Edith Declay Antonio; sister Rita Antonio-Johnson; brothers Ralph Antonio and Virgil Antonio; sons Lloyd Antonio, Floyd Antonio and Lowell Antonio; grandchild Jetton Beatty; and great-grandchildren Jon Ray Beatty and Alijah L. Antonio. A wake for Ray was held Friday, Oct. 2, at his residence in Canyon Day. Funeral services were held Sunday, Oct. 4, at Canyon Day Miracle Church. Interment followed at Canyon Day Cemetery.