Richard Kyle (Rick) Ragan
12/15/1952 — 08/13/2024
Rick Ragan was born on December 15, 1952, in Paris, Texas, to Dr. William Carroll (Bill) Ragan and Evelyn Marie (Parmely) Ragan of Paris. Bill Ragan, an optometrist from Greenville, Texas, and Evelyn, a homemaker and community volunteer from Greenville as well. Rick made his home in Cedar Hill, Texas, where he was retired at the time of his death from cancer on Tuesday evening, August 13, 2024, at home with his family, Ron and Lynda Ragan. Rick most especially loved his Hillcrest Baptist Church friends and considered many of them to be as close as his biological family.
Rick's memorial service is Tuesday, September 10, 2024, 11 am (visitation at 10 am), Hillcrest Baptist Church, 265 W. Pleasant Run Road, Cedar Hill, Texas 75104. To view Rick's memorial service streaming live, click "HERE" on the day of the event.
Rick during high school (above) and (below) college at The University of North Texas in Denton, TX.
(above) This looks like an employee badge photo, most likely at TXU in Dallas. Rick had to cut his long wavy hair (below) when he got his first job after college.
Early Life
Rick graduated from Paris High School in 1971. He played on the golf team at Crockett Middle School and then played for the Paris High School Wildcats. Rick was considered a championship caliber golfer. He won several club tournaments in his life and after retirement, he often said his game got even better. In the tee box, he was considered a "long-knock" with a hot driver and great command of his irons and putter. Cancer robbed golf from Rick in 2022 and it was one of his greatest disappointments. When he laid down his clubs for the last time, Rick was a scratch golfer. He just did not have the physical stamina to play the game.
After high school, Rick went on to study business at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. He majored in Human Resources Management and graduated Cum Laude in August 1977.
For a short time, Rick considered "optometry" as his chosen field, to follow in his father's footsteps. He later decided optometry was not for him, changed his field of study to Business/Human Resources, and he never looked back.
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Rick served in the United States Army Reserves where he was trained to operate heavy equipment. Rick was honorably discharged after six years of service.
Rick started his first job after college at Dallas Power and Light as a College Recruiter, kickstarting a 20 year career with TXU, Texas Utilities, Texas Utilities Mining and TXU. In 1997, Rick left the Texas Utilities family for another familiar name, worldwide accounting firm KPMG - Dallas, where he worked 9 years until his retirement as an Associate Director in 2006.
The year Rick retired from KPMG he was a scratch golfer and spent much of his time on the golf course. Rick volunteered with his church, travelled with friends, and cared for his beloved aunts Ann and Irene. Life after retirement was good for Rick, and then he was diagnosed with cancer.
Rick's Christian Walk
At age 12, in April 1965, Rick became a born-again follower of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. At the time, Rick was attending church with his family at First Baptist Church in Paris. His pastor was Dr. James Semple. Rick credits Dr. Semple with leading him to his decision to become a Christian, and as a mentor in his young Christian walk of faith.
Ron filled in some details: "I recently found a note in Rick's handwriting about this important event in his life. In the note he said that he would have made his salvation decision public much sooner, but he was afraid to 'walk the aisle' (go to the front of the sanctuary at the end of the service)." He finally conquered his nerves with encouragement from Dr. Semple and made his decision public before the congregation. He was baptized a few weeks later.
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Later in life, after worshipping at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano from 1977 to 2008, Rick made a fateful decision, to move his church membership to Hillcrest Baptist Church, now in Cedar Hill, Texas (technically walking distance from his home, though he never did that).
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On 11-30-2008, Rick moved his membership and his heart to Hillcrest Baptist Church. Rick told his brother Ron one night, during a time of reflection, that joining Hillcrest Baptist Church was perhaps his most important life decision, second only to that of becoming a Christian follower.
Being a life-long bachelor, Rick felt that his Hillcrest church family filled a giant hole in his life. Rick never intended to be a bachelor, it just happened. "I thought love would somehow come knocking on my door," Rick confided one evening to Ron. Rick never married and being single was one of his disappointments in life.
Rick was a faithful member at Hillcrest. He became a familiar face serving as a years-long greeter at the main sanctuary doors. Rick ran the sound system in Lloyd Williams Sunday School class. Whenever the church needed someone to troubleshoot the sound system, Rick was the man to do the job.
Rick in 2021
Dr. James Semple, Pastor of First Baptist Church in Paris, Texas and pastor to both Rick and Ron.
I knew when I took this picture that it might be the last one of them together, this side of Paradise. I am pretty sure it was. It would be hard to put into words the positive impact Lloyd had on Rick's life, so I won't even try.
A friend named Lloyd
Lloyd Williams was much more than Rick's Sunday School teacher. He was a true friend. Rick spoke about Lloyd often. Rick was in the Williams' home often and Lloyd was in his home. Lloyd could read Rick like a book. In one of their last times together, Rick went to Lloyd's house to show him his new Corvette. Lloyd confided to Ron that he could not believe Rick bought a Corvette. "Being a frugal person, he fretted for months over buying a new set of woods," Lloyd told Ron on the phone one day. "And, then he goes out and buys a sports car!"
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But, as practical as Rick was, he was also a contradiction. He loved sporty cars and golf equipment. And he loved Lloyd Williams.
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How 'bout that little red 'Vette
After being on a waiting list for over two years, the big day arrived in 2023; the "Little Red Vette" finally got to town.
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Rick's 2023 Corvette was his pride and joy. For many months he planned the color, the interior, and the aftermarket add-ons.
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Ron remembers the first time Rick "stepped on it" after the months-long break-in period. "We were out in the country near Waxahachie. Rick saw a long stretch of road ahead with no cars (and importantly, no police). He hit the gas, and the acceleration threw me back in the seat. I have never been in a car that went that fast, that quickly."
Rick confided later that the experience even scared him. He loved it though. For such a practical man, Rick's little red Corvette was the epitome of impracticality. On the day Rick passed away, the car had 9,656 miles on the odometer.
A few photo memories, just for fun
Jeff Ragan is Rick's only nephew. He is a chef in Tyler, Tx and loved his Uncle Rick very much. Rick was proud of Jeff and his years serving in the Navy.
Rick and Ron.
Joyce (Ragan) Dawson, Greenville, TX is Rick's beloved remaining aunt.
Rick's sister-in-law, Lynda Ragan, who together with Ron, comforted Rick when he passed in his home.
Rick had long(ish) wavy hair and a beard in college. He drove a beige Mercury Cougar.
Rick, Rev. Jordan McKinney (Dr. James Semple's grandson) and brother Ron, after a Hillcrest worship service where Jordan preached. Rick felt that Jordan was a talented young man, specially called of God to preach the Gospel message to the world.
Rick with his Hillcrest travelling buddies. Rick enjoyed his Israel and Greece trips and made many memories on those excursions.
I guess this photo is where it all started with the Ragan men. Dad, Rick and me. Of course, I was the big, know-it-all brother. But, Rick could give as well as he took.
Rick always said he carefully watched the things I did that got me in trouble with Mom and Dad, and he avoided those sins, but he had plenty of his own.
Like the time two-year old Rick drug the water hose into the living room and washed down our new family TV.
Then there was the time he decided to fill up the gas tank of Dad's Studebaker, again with the water hose.
Do you see a pattern here?
Our mom liked to get our portraits taken at milestone ages. Here is Rick's portrait at age fiveish (I am guessing here).
Rick was a dog lover from his earliest days. Left was "Tipsy" and right was "Rags."
On this particular Easter, Rick had cut the label out of his new Easter coat (and unfortunately, a BIG hole in the coat). It was one of those moments in life when Rick ran out of excuses. Oh, Mom was mad!
Someone snapped a picture of Rick and Ron getting bi-weekly flattops. We were in the barber chair in Paris, TX. I can still smell the Butch-Wax and bottles of tonic in the background.
A Galveston Beach vacation was a highlight of our young lives. That's Rick in the middle, with Ron and Mom (Evelyn). Mom was a model during the war and she modeled clothes for big catalogs including Spiegel Catalog in Chicago.
Rick played little league baseball and was an outfielder. He was good. If the sport involved hand-to-eye coordination, Rick was ready to play.
Everything is not as it seems in this picture. Yes, it was Christmas morning. Yes, Rick looks surprised at his gifts, all laid out by Santa Claus on the chair and floor. But, here is the "rest of the story," as Paul Harvey used to say. Rick was not actually surprised because around 2 am Rick and Ron arose to sneak into the living room to see what gifts we were receiving on Christmas morning. Mom detected the fake smiles and over-the-top enthusiasm. We got caught!
This was a big memory for Ron (left) and Rick. This was our first time to go fishing, but not our last.
Here is a photo of Rick in the US Army Reserves. He was trained as a heavy equipment operator, but his actual job was driving a jeep around the base, collecting offerings from the various chapels. Rick said he got this job because he was the only person in his command who had taken college accounting.
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Here is a younger Rick Ragan. There is no telling his age in this photo; probably during college. He was a handsome young man.
Labor Day 1976, Rick and Earl Hooker were partners and won the Championship Flight at Paris Golf & Country Club on the first extra hole. Hodges and Wear won 2nd place and Nash and AW Shelton came in 3rd.
Rick, who was twenty-four at the time, was proud, but our father, Bill Ragan, was over-the-top about it. In Paris golfing circles, it was a big deal when the older Hooker, a well respected, championship golfer at PG&CC, invited the upstart Rick Ragan to be his partner. When they won the tourney together, it was newsworthy stuff. Rick knocked in an improbable putt to win the overtime hole and it made Earl very happy.
A note from Ron:
This is a difficult time for me. Rick's cancer took my brother much too early in life. Rick was never bitter, though. He never expressed anger or resentment. "It is what it is" was his saying. "God's timing is perfect." He believed that, as do I.
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The things I would want everyone to remember about my brother were his love of life, Christ and his beloved Hillcrest Baptist Church. Rick treasured his church family, just like most people treasure their actual families. For him, the final years, living so near his church, and being there every time the doors opened, were special times for him. I could start naming names here, but with the exception of two people, I won't do that because I will leave out important people.
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I must publicly recognize Vickie Graves and Nicole Karslake. Hillcrest people know Vickie as the church bookkeeper and Nicole as the Pastor's Assistant (but she really runs the church). I know them both as angels on earth. What special people they are. I could not begin to count the hours Vickie had spent with Rick, as a caregiver for him and loving him to the end. Nicole was Rick's prayer warrior, confidant and frequent visitor.
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Each one of you who called about him in those final months, who came by to see him, who prayed with him, who brought food, who sent cards, who stopped me in the street to inquire about Rick . . . all of you were the feet of Jesus to my brother. Your constant love and caring were like nothing I have seen in my lifetime. Your Christ-like witness was remarkable.
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To the Hillcrest family, you are the most amazing people. I thank you so deeply for loving my brother like Christ loves each of us. Without you and your compassion, Rick's arduous "homegoing" journey would have been even more difficult.
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Thank you for being the love of Christ to my brother.
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Ron Ragan