Funeral Mass celebrating the life of LaRoy Dean “Bud” Ray will be held at 9:30AM Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic Church with Rev. Tim Hurd officiating under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home Sterlington Rd. Monroe. Interment will follow at St. Matthew Catholic Church Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00PM until 7:00PM Friday, March 13, 2026, at Mulhearn Funeral Home.

Bud Ray was born in Wilburton, OK, on October 24, 1938, and passed peacefully on March 4, 2026.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harless Ray and Lorraine Moore Visser; his sister, Jean Smith; and his beloved maternal grandparents Pete and Jenny Moore.

Survivors include his wife, Catherine Carso Ray; daughter, Dr. Allyson Ray (Sara Roybal); sister, Nancy Geyer; and grandchildren Cate and Jon.

Pallbearers will be Dr. Robert Spatafora, George Carso, Kenneth Bass, Michael Bass, Patrick Quint, and Allen Otts.

In his early years Bud was raised in the rural town of Wilburton, where his grandparents owned a small farm. After middle school, he moved to Midwest City, OK. He worked as a stock boy at the local grocery and graduated from Midwest City High School. He was the first in his family to receive a bachelors degree, in 1961 from Oklahoma State University with a major in business. After graduation, he joined the US Army and subsequently the Army Reserves.

He met his future wife Catherine in Shreveport while working for Pillsbury company, introducing himself and offering a free box of Pillsbury pancake mix. He then joined Top Value Stamp corporation, and quickly advanced through a series of promotions, moving the family to five different states within 10 years. When he tired of the corporate world, he made a midlife decision and with the support of Catherine, decided to move back to Monroe and become self employed. Together they opened the Cotton Patch in 1978, focusing on quality clothing and personalized customer service. Years later, they opened the Garden District Café. During this time, Bud also kept his primary career as an independent sales representative for multiple grocer promotional companies across the nation. To all who knew him, his energy and his desire for connecting with others was boundless. He sincerely loved to meet people, talk, visit and share stories. He was proud of his Cherokee lineage and his service to the US Army. He adopted his wife’s Italian heritage and was the determined force who researched her Italian roots and encouraged travel abroad. Bud never forgot his humble origins and will always be remembered for his generosity, humor, energy and abundant love of life.

The family would like to express a special thanks to the extraordinary staff of Stoneybrook Memory Care, West Monroe.

Memorial donations may be made to QuesTECH Learning, or to a charitable foundation of your choice.