Mr. RayFord Willis Jr.

RayFord Willis Jr. was born July 23, 1946, in Houston, Texas to RayFord Willis Sr. and Hershie Lee Willis. The first-born boy of 11 siblings, he would grow up with a deep love for his family. He learned the value of hard work from his father and the importance of spirituality from his mother. From these values, he created a firm foundation for his future early on. Affectionately called “Red” or “X” because of his striking resemblance to Malcolm X, he would earn these nicknames for his skin tone and his keen awareness of his people and their societal disadvantages and oppression. He was a member of New Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, and his mission was to pass on these values and the love of God to his children.

RayFord Jr. began his athletic career early on as he discovered his love for sports. During his junior year at Kashmere Gardens Sr. High School, he began to shine, winning the district championship, defeating Phillis Wheatley High School, and representing Houston at the Prairie View A&M University State Basketball Tournament. Two key players were lost at mid-term, which enabled him. to move up in rotation and gain more playing time. The summer before his senior year, some incredible things occurred with his dedication to the game, which enhanced his playing skills. As the season began, he stood out as one of the team’s premier players as their leading scorer. Among several of his accolades was his selection to the All City and All District Teams, earning recognition as the Forward Times Newspaper’s ‘Player of the Week’ after dropping 35 points in the game of the week, and being inducted in the Kashmere Gardens Sr. High School’s Hall of Fame in 2022.

RayFord Jr. graduated from Kashmere Gardens Sr. High School in 1965 with a full athletic scholarship to Texas Southern University. After completing one successful basketball season as a TSU Tiger, he was drafted into the United States Army in the spring of 1966. Leaving his first unborn son in the States, he completed 2 years in the U.S. Army, fighting in the Vietnam War. He earned a Purple Heart for his service and returned home in 1968. To this day, he blames his hearing loss on his many months of loading and firing war cannons in Vietnam!

When RayFord Jr. returned to the States, he hit the ground running! He applied to the United States Postal Service at the loading dock. His perseverance allowed him to steadily move up the ranks, earning promotion after promotion. He retired as Supervisor of the Quality of Work Life Office with 30-plus years of service. Always a sharp dresser, he was known for wearing his cowboy boots and a cowboy hat to work. During his career at the United States Postal Service, he held a newspaper route, ran a hot-shot driving service, invested in real estate and stocks, made and sold homemade boudin, and found time to play basketball in the Postal Service League and was a member of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall of Texas Masonic family. Married for 9 years, RayFord Jr. loved to travel with his family, work on cars, and breed dogs. Losing two of his sons in untimely deaths in 2007 and 2014, he cherished his time with his family and friends. He not only enjoyed cooking, gardening, fishing, bowling, playing chess, and dominoes, he excelled in these areas. He loved to travel, visit casinos, and drive to Trinity Gardens on the weekends to check on his brothers and sisters.

He is preceded in death by his parents, RayFord Willis Sr. and Hershie Lee Willis; his sons, RayFord Westbrooks and Cederic RayShad Webb; siblings, Troy Glen Willis, Frances Eloise Satterfield, and Dorothy Lee Samples.

He leaves to cherish his loving memory: his only daughter, Rae-Shell Denise Fletcher (Mike); his 2 bonus sons, Jeffery Dwayne Holbert (Tonya) and Ernest Daniel Polk; 2 daughter-n-laws, Donna Robinson and Lolita Lister-Westbrooks; 12 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; 2 brothers, Charles Ray Willis and Timothy Willis; and 5 sisters, Willie Jewel McGowen (late husband Robert), Maxine Westberry (late husband John), Inez Willis, Sheila Willis, and Rena Walker; and a host of nieces and nephews.