Rudolph Raymond (Rudy Ray) Vrana

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Rudolph Raymond (Rudy Ray) Vrana, 88, of Gonzales died peacefully Thursday morning on Feb. 6. Rudy was born at home in Dobrowolski, Texas in Atascosa County on May 22, 1931 to Marie Lanik Vrana and Adolph W. Vrana. Rudy graduated from Charlotte High School in Charlotte, Texas in 1947 with nine graduates in his class. He attended Texas A&M University in College Station and was part of the Corps of Cadets where he graduated with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics in 1953. Rudy served in the U.S. Air Force 1954 -1956 where he was 1st Lieutenant. He was stationed at Altus, AFB in Oklahoma and spent time in Florida. Later he moved to Houston where he sold life insurance for New York Life, and met his wife, Suzanne Bynum. They married in 1961 and lived in Houston where Rudy taught high school science for 15 years at Spring Branch High School. He served in the Air Force Reserves for several years. In 1979, he took early retirement from teaching and moved his family to their ranch in Gonzales, County to start a new career in ranching and poultry farming.

Throughout the majority of his life, Rudy enjoyed teaching others, hunting deer, camping, traveling, creating art, listening to music, riding horses, raising Australian red heelers, growing tomatoes, cooking chili and beans and raising cattle. He worked 15 hard years raising poultry for Tyson and put his two children through college. Rudy enjoyed traveling to many places in the world with his wife. In his later years, he enjoyed spoiling his dog, Rusty, and playing with his granddaughter’s cat, Mischka.

Rudy is survived by his wife, Suzanne of 58 years. His brother, Robert Vrana and sister-in-law, Sandra from Boerne, Texas and sister, Mary Vrana Poe of San Antonio. His daughter, Monica Atkinson and husband, Albert Atkinson of Manila, Philippines and son, Andrew W. Vrana and wife, Sophie Parker of Houston. His grandchildren are Hannah Marie Atkinson, Philip Edwin Atkinson, Luca Ethan Vrana and Nicolo Parker Vrana. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Richard A. Vrana.

A memorial mass will take place at St. James Catholic Church in Gonzales on Monday, Feb. 17, 2020 at 10 a.m. with Father Paul Raaz as celebrant. Interment will follow in the Gonzales St. James Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers: David Malik, Morgan Vrana and Rafael Romero. Friends and family may leave their condolences by visiting www.seydlerhillfuneralhome.com. Memorials may be made to the Gonzales St. James Cemetery through the St. James Catholic Church. Services are under the care and direction of Seydler-Hill Funeral Home.

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