AUSTIN - Marla Anne Rupp Ray, 47, died Thursday, March 28, 2002.
Rosary will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home. Services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday in St. Austin's Catholic Parish.
Mrs. Ray was born April 16, 1954, in Albuquerque, N.M. A superb student, she was a member of National Honor Society at Tascosa High School in Amarillo and was honored for her many extracurricular activities there.
She graduated with highest honors in three calender years from West Texas State University in 1975. She was on the debate team, belonged to several honor societies in math, forensics and drama. She was on the dean's list and was named Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.
Beginning in her early teen-age years, she developed a great talent for acting. Through college and beyond, she played numerous parts in community, college and professional theater productions.
Among numerous other roles, she played Ann Boleyn in "Ann of a Thousand Days," Peter Pan in "Peter Pan," the lead female role of Luisa in "The Fantastiks," Queen Elenor in "Lion in Winter," and the lead of Corrie in Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park."
She portrayed several key female characters during two seasons in the musical "Texas," the outdoor amphitheater production staged each summer in Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle.
Professionally, she held for several years the position of account executive with an advertising, marketing and public relations firm in Abilene. She worked for five years as associate director of planned giving at Penn State University and later held a similar position at University of Texas at Austin.
For three years she was director of gift planning and endowments for St. Edward's University in Austin. Most recently she served as director of development for St. Austin's Catholic Parish.
She was active in professional organizations including Central Texas Planned Giving Council, Estate Planning Council of Central Texas and National Society of Fund Raising Executives.
Outside of her professional activities, her great passion was reading fiction. Often completing two to three books per week, she amassed a large library that she cherished. She was particularly fond of the Patrick O'Brian series of adventures on the high seas, but explored all genres with great joy and zest.
To have met her was to remember her forever. A striking beauty, she had a contagious personality that placed her in instant command of any setting. She carried herself with extraordinary grace and lived an almost entirely selfless life.
She had an instinctive feel for her role as a mother that was amazing to behold. She loved holidays of all kinds and went to great effort to make them special for everyone around her.
As a friend, she gave fully of herself. As a colleague, her work ethic and commitment to excellence was an inspiration. As a sister and daughter, she was a glue and personality around which to rally. As a spouse, she was unceasingly loving, patient and gentle. She was a mother for whom any child would have longed. She will be sorely missed by all.
She was preceded in death by her father, Robert Eugene Rupp in 1995.
Survivors include a son, Kevin Andrew Ray of Austin; her mother, Mary Louise Rupp of Fullerton, Calif.; two sisters, Claire Ellen Winder of Fullerton and Lynne Marie Rupp of Austin; a brother, Richard Matthew Rupp of Long Beach, Calif.; and her husband, Johnnie.
The family suggests memorials be to Marla Ray Memorial Fund at UT Austin, P.O. Box 7458, Austin, TX 78713, (512) 475-9609.
Amarillo Globe-News, March 30, 2002
