Raymond ("Ray") Arthur Norton

Raymond (“Ray”) Arthur Norton passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on July 2, 2026, his 84th birthday. A poignant last act seeing that no one enjoyed birthday celebrations more than Ray Norton. Ray was born in Dallas, Texas on July 2, 1942. He was the second child of Thomas Lawrence Norton and Charlotte Bernice Norton (Lyon). It is safe to say, most people who knew Ray over the years would agree he was a “glass half full” kind of guy. This life philosophy likely first took form as a head injury when Ray was just four years old. Youthful exuberance caused young Ray to fail to look before crossing the street opposite his home and he was struck by an oncoming car, hurling him about 60 feet into the air and then onto his head. A series of fortunate coincidences got him the medical attention he needed to fully recover from a cracked skull and several broken bones. His mother dubbed him a “luck sack”, adding that he could step in a bucket of it and come out smelling like a rose”. Ray carried the sentiment throughout his life, embracing life’s challenges and good fortune as symbolic signposts. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Dallas, Texas. Ray’s older brother, Tom fondly recalled how he, Ray and their younger brother, Mike would wake up around 3 a.m. and work to complete a paper route together during their high school days. After completing high school Ray entered the University of Houston as a Mass Communication major. To earn money, he worked for KMSC FM radio station in Clear Lake City in the evenings. This became a springboard for bigger opportunities in television and radio news. As an illustration, on his birthday, July 2, 1967, his boss at KMSC FM gave him an on-location reporting opportunity which resulted in getting him noticed by a larger, radio competitor in the area. Spoiler Alert: What Ray lacked in overall broadcast experience would be overcome by his soothing baritone voice, natural ability for conversational pacing and clean diction. Over time, Ray leveraged his growing experiences into News Director positions at both KRGV TV and KGBT TV in the Rio Grande Valley, where he would enjoy a decade in the television broadcast media world. In the late 1970s, Ray would transition his career to radio and television advertising, a natural fit for his skill set and ability to easily connect with people. Eventually he would start his own advertising agency, Norton & Associates Advertising, in the early 1980s. Ray’s agency enjoyed 20 years of successfully serving the business needs of his Rio Grande Valley clients. In the late 1990s, Ray had the opportunity to purchase a mailing and shipping store from a friend and advertising client. He made the leap, purchased the store and eventually changed the name to Mail-Pak Your Box Store. What started as a way to transition into a comfortable retirement, became a 23-year endeavor in which Ray would later admit was the most rewarding and satisfying period of his entire professional life. His employees and regular customers became more like an extended family. During his tenure as owner of Mail-Pak, Ray became active in the independent mailing and shipping store owners’ largest Industry and Trade Association, Retail Shipping Associates. His store was a stand-out producer and Ray was asked to serve on the 20-member Advisory Council to the Association, a position Ray held for 7 years until he sold his store. Ray was loved and respected by all who had the good fortune to have known, worked with him or been exposed to his many talents. Various media posts highlight Ray’s contribution to his community, passion for passing on his vast knowledge of WW2 aviation history and support for the preservation, maintenance and appreciation of our Commemorative Air Force inventory: 1) Ray was a familiar and respected voice in the McAllen and Rio Grande Valley community for many years. Through his work in broadcasting, advertising, and his longtime service as the voice and emcee of the McAllen Wind Ensemble and of the McAllen Candlelight Posada, he helped celebrate the people, organizations, and events that make the Rio Grande Valley such a special place. Those who knew Ray remember him for his kindness, professionalism, infectious sense of humor, and genuine friendship. His ability to connect with others and make every occasion feel welcoming left a lasting impression on our community 2) Ray helped shape local television as the creative force and spent decades connecting our community through his advertising agency, served as a beloved master of ceremonies at countless events across the Upper Valley, and was the longtime host of the MDA Telethon. Fourteen years ago, Ray even used his unmistakable voice and storytelling talent to produce a special feature on McAllen’s history during the 1930s. 3) One of the highlights of Ray’s life was being inducted into the Commemorative Air Force (“CAF”) Hall of Fame in March of 2025. As a CAF Colonel, Ray could claim an extraordinary 45 years of service since joining the CAF on October 7, 1978. Colonel Raymond Norton’s voice became synonymous with CAF events as he served as the announcer for airshows in Harlingen and Midland from 1977 to 2008, a span of 31 years. He was also the announcer for the Wings Over Houston Airshow from 1985 to 2008 and the Rio Grande Valley Airshow for 15 years. In his latter years of service, Ray had taken on the role of Lead Narrator for the famous TORA TORA TORA reenactment of the bombing of Pearl Harbor from 2012 to 2023. Even after decades of service, Ray remained actively involved with the CAF, sharing his passion for aviation history with audiences nationwide. It is safe to say, Ray Norton had a fondness for good books, good stories, family and good friends. He remembered your name and recalled important (and even useless!) details about people--places and things most of us forget. Ray would be the first to tell you he was a man of simple tastes and a creature of habit, especially in retirement. Nothing brought him more pleasure than adhering to his daily routine. Ray typically got up at 4:30 AM to feed the rescue critters (3 tiny dogs and a cat), then sat down briefly to read and watch the news. On most week days, he went to workout with his wonderful trainer around 5:30 am. Upon his return home, he would fill up the bird and squirrel feeders. About 6:50 a.m. he would head out for Lee's Soda Fountain and cafe to join friends and his geriatric breakfast club members to nosh and tell lies. He brought a sausage and egg taco back home for his wife, Connie, each morning when he returned home. After spending some time in his office, he would take his shower, put on clean clothes and leave again to run errands, pick up mail for himself and his friend, Greg Goby…and then come home for a nap. He ate a light lunch--usually a grilled cheese sandwich with a cup of Connie’s bone broth vegetable soup. This was followed by the obligatory after lunch cat nap, evening news and finally dinner - often at a favorite restaurant with close couple friends…the stuff of life! Ray was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Lawrence Norton and Charlotte Bernice Lyon Norton and his sister, Lynne Charlotte Norton Anderson (Robert). He is survived by his wife of almost 23 years, Connie Fielder-Norton, his stepchildren Dawn Fielder del Alamo (Jorge) and Paul Kenneth Fielder (Michelle), younger brother, Michael Adrian Norton, his older brother, Thomas Lawrence Norton (Judith Ann), and several nieces and nephews. A small, private gathering of friends and family will be held at a later time. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation in Ray’s honor to TORA, TORA, TORA, c/o Tora Finance, 2359 AN County Road 448, Palestine TX 75803 and/or Palm Valley Animal Society, PO Box 1829, Edinburg TX 78540-1829.

Tributes

Raymond ("Ray") Arthur Norton

July 2, 2026