Ollie Ray Moffitt

Ollie Ray Moffitt passed away July 14, 2023 at the age of 88 with his wife Connie and family by his side. Ollie was born December 17, 1934, in San Antonio, Texas to Allen and Maria (Mary) Moffitt. He is preceded in death by his parents and his brother Rolando and many aunts, uncles and cousins. He is survived by his wife Connie with whom he had recently celebrated 65 years of marriage; his three daughters and their families Amy Buehrer and Steve Chancey of Houston; Beth and Kim Mason of New Market, Alabama; Teri and Luis Cardenas II from Corpus Christi, TX; his grandchildren Matthew Buehrer, David Buehrer & Tracy Collins from Houston; Joshua Mason and his wife Lindsey, and Chris Mason and his wife Emily; his great grandchildren Titus (10), Enoch (8) and Mercy (5) Mason and Ellen (6) Mason, all from Huntsville, Alabama. He was extremely close to his mother Mary up to her passing in 1990. Ollie was born in San Antonio and raised on a ranch in Laredo graduating from Martin High School. At Martin High School, he was an All Star running back known for his football “pose” who loved the game of football. He attended Southern Methodist University on a football scholarship. His time there was cut short by a serious shoulder injury in his freshman year. He joined the United States Navy and served as Petty Officer, 3rd Class, duty as Office Clerk to the Captain of the USS Abbott. He then spent two years in the Reserves. He loved telling Navy stories and was a patriot who loved cheering on American athletes and teams in the Olympics. After the Navy, he married Connie and enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin, flipping burgers to get through school. With a wife and new baby, he decided to move to Houston to take a better job and finished his Accounting degree at the University of Houston. Ollie was an entrepreneur who served as Chief Financial Officer for multiple companies and owned his own businesses from consulting to manufacturing. During the 70's one of dad's favorite companies he formed was Bulldog Manufacturing which produced hydraulic parts for transportation and the oil and gas industry. The forklift for the back of Coca-Cola trucks was one of his favorite designs, now used all over the industry. Bulldog also created a part for trucks which carried live chickens. It was a cylinder for the shocks of the trucks to produce a smoother ride and keep more chickens alive. This design won Ollie an award from the American Poultry Association. During the 90's one of his favorite consulting jobs was for Maxwell House Coffee Company. His passport was stamped with many visits to Mexico and South America to visit the farms and buy coffee. He had memorable stories about his visits, some of which included surviving a Mexican earthquake and running from the cartels in South America. Ollie and Connie loved to host parties at their home in Memorial including bridge parties, poker nights and Italian feasts for everyone from friends and neighbors, once hosting Houston Oilers Quarterback Dan Pastorini for dinner. They threw a midnight lasagna party that lasted until 4:00 am for the cast and crew of the “Odd Couple” playing at the Windmill Theater. Ollie loved to jitterbug and salsa with his wife Connie and they enjoyed jazz music and disco dancing back in the day. Their love of Masterpiece Theater’s English mysteries and live theater was well known as they attended the Houston Grand Opera, the Alley theater, Miller outdoor theater and the Town & Country Playhouse throughout his life. Ollie was passionate about his love of sports including his favorite teams the Texas Longhorns, Houston Cougars, Houston Oilers and later Houston Texans, Houston Astros, Houston Rockets and occasionally the Alabama Crimson Tide to support his daughter Beth’s family in Huntsville, Alabama. He loved playing golf and watching golf. He had favorite pro golfers he followed religiously including Lee Trevino, Nancy Lopez, Seve Ballesteros, UT alums Ben Crenshaw & Tom Kite, and UH alums Fred Couples & Fuzzy Zoeller. Ollie was one of the original members of The Curling Club of Houston which started at the Ice Haus and moved to the Galleria during his tenure as a member. He loved the sport and the camaraderie of dear friends. His family came to watch him on Sundays for many years until back problems got the best of him. Ollie never met a stranger and had a very generous, loving heart. The Moffitt family would like to thank our friends and neighbors who have reached out with wonderful stories and memories filled with laughter and silliness. In honor of Ollie’s life please consider a charitable donation to Visitation House Ministries at www.visitationhouseministries.org. A private ceremony with his family will be held in September when his grandchildren and great grandkids can be present. Your prayers for his wife Connie and family are deeply appreciated.

Ollie Ray Moffitt

December 17, 1934 - July 14, 2023