Rayford Worth Lindsey, 105, passed away on Saturday, December 10, 2011. He was born in Throckmorton, Texas in 1906 to James Franklin Lindsey and Zenobia Marlin Lindsey, the third of five children. In 1934 he married Elizabeth Chisenhall in Corsicana, Texas and they were married for 72 years until her death in 2006. They are now one in death as in life.
Mr. Lindsey was raised in Throckmorton, Stamford and Anson, Texas (near Abilene) and graduated from Anson High School. His father, Frank, surveyed, taught school, was a school superintendent and then studied and practiced law, serving as county judge for over 20 years. His mother, Zenobia, was a homemaker and private music teacher.
Rayford Lindsey began working at the age of 11 running a milk delivery route, sweeping out the bank and shining shoes at the drug store. In his teens he became an electrician, wiring several courthouses in the Abilene area, and he also developed a passion for automobiles and maintaining automobiles which he was able to do until his late nineties, for himself and neighbors and friends.
Music was always important to the Lindsey family. With the help of his brothers, Jimmy and John, and on his own, Rayford learned to play clarinet and saxophone. While still in high school, he played in the Anson City Band and put his musical talent to good use giving music lessons to university students in Abilene. For fun and sometimes money, he, his brothers and some friends formed "The Jolly Syncopators" band which played gigs in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. During this same time Rayford studied to be a concert pianist under Miss Roxy Groves, a student of Artur Schnabel, a famous Austrian classical pianist. Miss Groves later served as director of music at Baylor University. While the Great Depression necessitated a change from his plan to be a concert pianist, his piano accompaniment provided drama and suspense for many silent motion pictures and the compensation was helpful in the hard times.
After high school Rayford attended Georgia Tech hoping to be an engineer. His schooling was cut short when the truck in Anson used in his freight business broke down. Although he was not able to meet his own formal educational goals he was able, through the years, to help several members of his family meet theirs. And he never stopped learning - even acquiring knowledge and insight in the last year of his life.
After returning to Anson, his electrical contracting business was successful but he wished to continue his education and contacted an old personal and family friend, Judge Pope, State Insurance Commissioner, seeking a part-time job in Austin, Texas so he could attend the University of Texas. Instead of a part-time job, Judge Pope, being aware of Mr. Lindsey's skills and ability, offered him a full-time job as an industrial safety engineer for the Texas Insurance Commission, thus launching his career and allowing him to support his extended family at the height of the Great Depression.
It was during this time that Mr. and Mrs. Lindsey married and, for several years, she traveled with him as he made inspections throughout the country - Texas had interests as far-ranging as Chicago.
As an industrial safety engineer, Rayford inspected defense plants during World War II on loan from the Insurance Commission and when the war ended he joined the insurance industry inspecting manufacturing plants, construction sites, quarries, oil rigs, refineries, lumber mills, and particularly ports, shipyards, offshore oil and gas exploration facilities, and other maritime industries. His work was in prevention, but he also inspected the scenes of many disasters to determine their causes.
After World War II they lived for a time in Dallas, in 1942 they moved to West University, then in 1945 moved to Foster Place in southeast Houston where they lived for 11years, then back to West University in1956.
Around Christmas in 1945, at the age of 39, Rayford suffered a major cerebral hemorrhage from which he was fortunate to eventually recover. He continued to work in the insurance industry until his retirement, but, his priorities having been altered immediately after the hemorrhage (he had passed up career advancement which would involve relocating his family), he then focused upon the needs of his family and the social and spiritual fulfillment available in the churches they attended along their way.
Many of Rayford's pastimes looked a lot like work. He enjoyed solving problems and repairing things, including his home, automobiles, farm equipment, farm fences, also he was useful if one had an ox in a ditch. He greatly enjoyed playing Yatze, reading the newspaper, learning things from and about everyone he met, visiting relatives and friends (unexpectedly), long family road trips to many distant states, hosting sunrise breakfasts at the beach and at lakes where the Gordon Reunion was held, the Gordon Reunion (reunion of Elizabeth's family held annually for more 80 years), Halloween carnivals at Foster Place or West University Elementary schools often directed by wife Elizabeth, a sixth-grade teacher (and assistant principal at Foster), overseeing the sponsorship of a Girl Scout troop, raising fine although unregistered Hereford cattle, planning and implementing the planting and harvest of farm crops, taking care of and guiding his immediate and extended family and some neighbors, friends and strangers, and participating at his church.
Rayford Worth Lindsey was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, his brothers, John, James and W.T. and sister, Zenobia Encke. He is survived by (1) daughter, Cynthia Salvato and husband, Mark, grandchild, Stephanie Martens and her son, Trapper Cook, as well as step-grandchildren Gina Salvato and John Goff and their children, Julienne and Mark Goff; Michael and Tracey Salvato and their children, Jack and Claire; and Mary Salvato and her daughter, Lauren Ivy.
(2) daughter, Julie Gaylord and husband, Heinz, and grandson Eric Gaylord and granddaughter Amy Beaver and her husband Gordon, her children, Jennifer and Michael Knapp, and Gordon's children, Brendon Beaver and Christine and Chris Hyek and their daughter, Ava (great great grandchild of Rayford). Also surviving are beloved nieces and nephews, including Roland Payne and Carol Jean Payne Gaede who spent their summers with his family after their mother’s death.
Special thanks are sent to Rev. Charlie Hall (retired) and Rev. Carol Bruse for rushing to the hospital to be with Mr. Lindsey and his family during his last hours, and for coordinating and conducting his funeral. Also thanks to the church's Funeral Ministry. The family is also appreciative of his night and daytime caregivers, nurses and doctors who have helped him get through his days in relative comfort and health, particularly Ron R. Buescher, M.D.
Visitation and viewing for family and friends will be held on Monday, December 19, 2011 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at Paradigm Funeral Home, 5455 Dashwood, Bellaire, TX 77401. On Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at West University Methodist Church, 3611 University Blvd., Houston, TX 77005, 713-664-8111, another viewing will occur at 10:15 a.m. followed by the funeral service at 11:00 a.m., For those wishing to commemorate Rayford Worth Lindsey, memorial gifts may be made to West University United Methodist Church or the charity of your choice.
105, passed away on Saturday, December 10, 2011. He was born in Throckmorton, Texas in 1906 to James Franklin Lindsey and Zenobia Marlin Lindsey, the third of five children. In 1934 he married Elizabeth Chisenhall in Corsicana, Texas and they were married for 72 years until her death in 2006. They are now one in death as in life.Mr. Lindsey was raised in Throckmorton, Stamford and Anson, Texas (near Abilene) and graduated from Anson High School. His father, Frank, surveyed, taught school, was a school superintendent and then studied and practiced law, serving as county judge for over 20 years. His mother, Zenobia, was a homemaker and private music teacher.Rayford Lindsey began working at the age of 11 running a milk delivery route, sweeping out the bank and shining shoes at the drug store. In his teens he became an electrician, wiring several courthouses in the Abilene area, and he also developed a passion for automobiles and maintaining automobiles which he was able to do until his late nineties, for himself and neighbors and friends.Music was always important to the Lindsey family. With the help of his brothers, Jimmy and John, and on his own, Rayford learned to play clarinet and saxophone. While still in high school, he played in the Anson City Band and put his musical talent to good use giving music lessons to university students in Abilene. For fun and sometimes money, he, his brothers and some friends formed "The Jolly Syncopators" band which played gigs in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. During this same time Rayford studied to be a concert pianist under Miss Roxy Groves, a student of Artur Schnabel, a famous Austrian classical pianist. Miss Groves later served as director of music at Baylor University. While the Great Depression necessitated a change from his plan to be a concert pianist, his piano accompaniment provided drama and suspense for many silent motion pictures and the compensation was helpful in the hard times. After high school Rayford attended Georgia Tech hoping to be an engineer. His schooling was cut short when the truck in Anson used in his freight business broke down. Although he was not able to meet his own formal educational goals he was able, through the years, to help several members of his family meet theirs. And he never stopped learning - even acquiring knowledge and insight in the last year of his life.After returning to Anson, his electrical contracting business was successful but he wished to continue his education and contacted an old personal and family friend, Judge Pope, State Insurance Commissioner, seeking a part-time job in Austin, Texas so he could attend the University of Texas. Instead of a part-time job, Judge Pope, being aware of Mr. Lindsey's skills and ability, offered him a full-time job as an industrial safety engineer for the Texas Insurance Commission, thus launching his career and allowing him to support his extended family at the height of the Great Depression. It was during this time that Mr. and Mrs. Lindsey married and, for several years, she traveled with him as he made inspections throughout the country - Texas had interests as far-ranging as Chicago. As an industrial safety engineer, Rayford inspected defense plants during World War II on loan from the Insurance Commission and when the war ended he joined the insurance industry inspecting manufacturing plants, construction sites, quarries, oil rigs, refineries, lumber mills, and particularly ports, shipyards, offshore oil and gas exploration facilities, and other maritime industries. His work was in prevention, but he also inspected the scenes of many disasters to determine their causes. After World War II they lived for a time in Dallas, in 1942 they moved to West University, then in 1945 moved to Foster Place in southeast Houston where they lived for 11years, then back to West University in1956. Around Christmas in 1945, at the age of 39, Rayford suffered a major cerebral hemorrhage from which he was fortunate to eventually recover. He continued to work in the insurance industry until his retirement, but, his priorities having been altered immediately after the hemorrhage (he had passed up career advancement which would involve relocating his family), he then focused upon the needs of his family and the social and spiritual fulfillment available in the churches they attended along their way. Many of Rayford's pastimes looked a lot like work. He enjoyed solving problems and repairing things, including his home, automobiles, farm equipment, farm fences, also he was useful if one had an ox in a ditch. He greatly enjoyed playing Yatze, reading the newspaper, learning things from and about everyone he met, visiting relatives and friends (unexpectedly), long family road trips to many distant states, hosting sunrise breakfasts at the beach and at lakes where the Gordon Reunion was held, the Gordon Reunion (reunion of Elizabeth's family held annually for more 80 years), Halloween carnivals at Foster Place or West University Elementary schools often directed by wife Elizabeth, a sixth-grade teacher (and assistant principal at Foster), overseeing the sponsorship of a Girl Scout troop, raising fine although unregistered Hereford cattle, planning and implementing the planting and harvest of farm crops, taking care of and guiding his immediate and extended family and some neighbors, friends and strangers, and participating at his church. Rayford Worth Lindsey was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, his brothers, John, James and W.T. and sister, Zenobia Encke. He is survived by (1) daughter, Cynthia Salvato and husband, Mark, grandchild, Stephanie Martens and her son, Trapper Cook, as well as step-grandchildren Gina Salvato and John Goff and their children, Julienne and Mark Goff; Michael and Tracey Salvato and their children, Jack and Claire; and Mary Salvato and her daughter, Lauren Ivy. (2) daughter, Julie Gaylord and husband, Heinz, and grandson Eric Gaylord and granddaughter Amy Beaver and her husband Gordon, her children, Jennifer and Michael Knapp, and Gordon's children, Brendon Beaver and Christine and Chris Hyek and their daughter, Ava (great great grandchild of Rayford). Also surviving are beloved nieces and nephews, including Roland Payne and Carol Jean Payne Gaede who spent their summers with his family after their mother’s death.Special thanks are sent to Rev. Charlie Hall (retired) and Rev. Carol Bruse for rushing to the hospital to be with Mr. Lindsey and his family during his last hours, and for coordinating and conducting his funeral. Also thanks to the church's Funeral Ministry. The family is also appreciative of his night and daytime caregivers, nurses and doctors who have helped him get through his days in relative comfort and health, particularly Ron R. Buescher, M.D.Visitation and viewing for family and friends will be held on Monday, December 19, 2011 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at Paradigm Funeral Home, 5455 Dashwood, Bellaire, TX 77401. On Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at West University Methodist Church, 3611 University Blvd., Houston, TX 77005, 713-664-8111, another viewing will occur at 10:15 a.m. followed by the funeral service at 11:00 a.m., For those wishing to commemorate Rayford Worth Lindsey, memorial gifts may be made to West University United Methodist Church or the charity of your choice.
Saturday, February 18, 2012 
