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From the Wichita Eagle, January 16, 1995
RAY A. NAVARRO, 48, of San Bernadino, California, formerly of Wichita. Lockheed Aircraft Co. structure assembler, died Thursday, January 12, 1995. Memorial service 6PM Saturday, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Wichita.
Survivors: wife, Michelle Marie Caldron-Navarro; sons, Christopher of Ontario, Ca., Carlos of San Bernadino, Ca; daughter, Raychelle of San Bernadino; brothers, Felix, Knox, Auggie, Bobby all of Wichita; sisters, Helen Chavez of Fairfield, Ca, Nita Graham of Lenexa, Francis Palacio, Jeanie Figueroa both of Wichita. Mount View Mortuary, San Bernadino.
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Linda Kay Miller (Bowles)
A great basketball player and such a fun boy. Our Horace Mann hero on the courts. I saw his at one of the reunions and he was still a gentleman.
James (Jim) Carmichael
Ray was a great guy, he told me once while still at Horace Mann to "keep on runnin" for some reason I never forgot that, and I think I did what he suggested, just kept on runnin
Russel Thomas Armitage (Oropesa)
Ray really was a Great guy, from a Great family. He had a good since of humor, & made friends very easily . I can still see that Big grin he always had.
John Naramore
Ray was the wheels of our basketball team. We weren't big so coach Lee set it up for us to run, and run we did. We practiced the fast break night after night, and when it came to games it was what gave us an edge. Ray was the core of that fast break. He was fast, used good judgement, and was tenacious. When I think of Ray it will always be the picture of his back, him running the other direction, already down at the other end of the court with the ball leading the break.
It was a long time ago, but Ray probably never got the credit he deserved. (I can't remember much of yesterday, let alone 46 years ago.) In my mind he was always in there, and it may be that he is the one guy who never lost his starting job. He had a good attitude, was funny and a straight shooter - pun accepted but not intended.
My only somewhat negative thinking about Ray was that his and Sonia's wedding lasted at least three hours. I had never been to a church service that lasted that long, much less a wedding. And I had no idea what was going on, never having been to a Catholic service of any kind previously. But it was nice that they seemed so happy, so it really wasn't negative at all.
Ray died way too early. One of my early examples of the unfairness of life.
Richard J. Martin
I was also acquainted with Ray from Horace Mann until graduation. I was in some of his classes throughout a time at North. He was always the team player and treated everyone the same, and never continue to rag on someone who might have done him wrong. I always respected him and I know he is sorely missed by his classmates.
James Lee Jemmerson
Billy Roman called me a couple of weeks before Ray passed away to come up to the hospital to visit Ray. Ray was still his old self and had that big smile on his face when I came into the room. We talked about old times at North High and the good times we had playing basketball and how he was always quicker than I was. I agreed with Ray as I remembered that I did not like to guard Ray on defense as he was so fast.
Ray, told me how he had been out in California but came back to Wichita to be near his family. For a moment I relived our time togather as a family on the basketball court at North High. Then after we would both laugh. I was sadden knowing that this would possibly be the last memories that Ray and I shared togather.
Ray and I prayed before I left his bedside. We embraced as brothers do and then we both cried not undersanding why we were both put into this position in life. Ray told me to perservere and to be strong in my endeavors in life and to not give up the same way that we never gave up on the basketball court North High school in 1965.