William "Ray" Runnels was born February 28, 1928, in San Augustine, Texas to the late Edgar Ellis Runnels Sr. and Beulah Carey (Fullen) Runnels. He passed away peacefully from this life into the next on Wednesday, January 12, 2022 at his home in Livingston, Texas.

Ray is preceded in death by his loving wife Karen Lee (Hawley) Runnels, his parents and siblings: Edgar Ellis "Son" Runnels Jr., Bernice "Bonnie" McGrew, Juanita "Totsie" Harris, Lillian Ava "Nell" Harvey, Reba Maurine Harvey and Elice Lavon "Baby Boy" Runnels.

He met the love of his life Karen Lee Hawley on a blind date in Houston, Texas. In jest, he initially said that he didn't want to go out with her because he said she was a good girl and he didn't have time for good girls. However, he ended up marrying her on June 27, 1970, and were married until Karen's death on December 31 ^st 2010.

His life consisted of many qualities. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, grand-father, great grand-father, uncle and friend. He enjoyed meeting new people and visiting with long time friends and family. His other life-passions were gardening, camping, dancing, singing/yodeling around the house, walks in the neighborhood, and sharing tales of his youth. Ray's pride and joy, above everything else, were his grandchildren. They had him wrapped around their little finger. Spending time with them and talking with others about them always made him smile. He enjoyed having a good time and tried to ensure others had a good time when he was around. He would often go out dancing with family and friends. He liked to sing some of his old time favorite songs or just make up a song as he went along. He enjoyed going to visit friends and family or just sit on the front porch watching deer as they walked through his property.

He eventually had to hang up his vehicle keys but he did not let that slow him down. He started walking through his neighborhood to visit with friends. He would drop into one of the area businesses to visit with people he knew or met there. Eventually, he got a golf cart to ride around the neighborhood with his dog Trixie. He would say that Trixie needed her exercise just so he could use her as an excuse to go visit people.

He first became a resident of Polk County in 1972 when he constructed and operated a catfish farm from 1972 until 1974. He relocated again to Houston, Texas until 1980 when he finished his house and made Livingston Texas his final home. His varied career included timber feller/pulpwood hauler; oilfield roughneck, long-haul truck driver, fish farm operator, and construction/heavy equipment operator.

Ray is survived by his two children, Michael Ray Runnels, wife Joy Lynn Runnels of Livingston, Texas and Michelle Raelynn (Runnels) Beebe, husband Josh Beebe of Livingston, Texas. His grandchildren are Vanessa Kay (Runnels) Streitz and Husband Dustin Streitz, Tasha Lynn Runnels, Brandon Henry, Chad Henry, Douglas Beebe, Hunter Beebe, Makayla Beebe, and Elizabeth Beebe. His great grandchildren are Brayden and Jaxon Streitz.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Family Life Church, located at 4362 U.S. Highway 59 South, Livingston, Texas, on Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 2:00 pm. Graveside services will be held, at a later date, at the Runnels family cemetery, in Broaddus Texas.