Roger Allan Raby

Roger Allan Raby went to his eternal home on May 12, 2015. He was born on September 2, 1937 in Marigold, MS to parents Perry Allan and Lois Dale Raby. The family moved to Houston in 1947 and Roger graduated from Jeff Davis High School, the University of Texas in Austin (BFA) in Theatre Arts, the University of Minnesota in Moorhead, with MFA in Theatre Management and had a great career nationally in the entertainment world.

He was featured in The Dupont Show at the New York World’s Fair and back on Broadway he did 1,236 performances in MAME opposite Angela Lansbury, Janis Paige, Ginger Rogers, Celeste Holm, Jane Morgan and Ann Miller. He performed on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers and many times was on the Ed Sullivan Show. He was part of the company chosen to perform Opening Ceremonies of the Lincoln Center in NYC with Gwen Verdon, Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and Sir Richard Burton and worked with many theater luminaries in his career.

He returned to Houston to become the Executive Director of the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre where he directed and choreographed many productions until he was tapped to be Production Stage Manager for Houston's Theater Under the Stars. Roger was Artistic Director and Stage Manager for Pageant: A Christmas Spectacular at Houston's First Baptist Church for 23 years where he was a member. A humble and gentle man, he was greatly loved and respected by all whose lives he touched.

He is survived by his sisters, Kathy Raby Dunaway and Mary Frances Raby, nephews Tom M. and Carel V. Dunaway, niece Lynda Kay Young, great nephews Byron Dunaway and Allan Thomas, great niece Kaylie Thomas Harris and great-great nephews Mason and Bryce Dunaway, special friends Jan Kennedy and Nancy Rodriguez, a very dear friend Dr. Gerald Ray and many other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be Sunday, May 17 at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home from 6 to 8 p.m. The service will be Monday, May 18 at 11:00 a.m. in the chapel of Memorial Oaks with Dr.Gerald Ray officiating. Interment and reception will follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts for Roger Raby may be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center Raby/Dunaway Family Fund for Research of "Rare Diseases, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX 77210- 4486 or www.mdanderson.org/gifts.