With profound sadness and abiding faith in God's plan, we announce the passing of Raymond La Fuente on June 25, 2024, at the age of 74 residing in Houston, TX. Born and raised in Austin, TX, Ray was a steadfast servant of the Lord, whose life exemplified the virtues of hard work, perseverance, and unwavering dedication to his family and community.

Ray was the eldest child of Felicita Vela La Fuente, from the Valley of Texas, and Henry La Fuente, an Austin native. Raised in a family of limited means in East Austin, Ray learned the value of hard work from an early age. At just seven, he helped his father build their family home, an experience that instilled in him a sense of responsibility and a robust work ethic. He never let his age limit him, working alongside his father and contributing to the family's well-being. Where most might see this as a burden, he valued this time in his life because he got to spend hours and days on end with his dad growing close to him.

From the tender age of ten, Ray began contributing to the family budget by shining shoes on 6th Street and Congress while attending school. Tragically, his father passed away during his elementary school years, and the family relocated to West Austin. Ray continued to support his family, taking on newspaper routes and various part-time jobs to help his mother and siblings. He consistently excelled in numerous talents, becoming a state champion in chess and an accomplished boxer in high school.

In his twenties, Ray sought greater opportunities and moved to Houston. While juggling three jobs, he pursued education aiming for a college degree. He took 70+ hours of Management and Design Engineering courses at the local community college and the University of Houston before beginning his family.

It was during this time that he met and married Araceli "Sally" Leal, his devoted wife of 52 years. Their union was a partnership built on mutual love, respect, and shared Catholic values. He taught her how to drive a car and navigate life while she magnified his love for helping others and providing him with his life goal of a family to fill the room with laughter, conversation, music and adventures.

Ray transitioned from engineering into the real estate industry to gain more ownership of his time, where he quickly found a fulfilling career lasting 46 years that enabled him to provide for his family while helping others find their beloved home and begin their journey toward building wealth.

At RE/MAX Professionals, he quickly rose through the ranks as a top agent. He won local, state, national, and international recognition and awards – even presented at local conferences on motivation and best sales practices. From 1983 - 1989, he proudly co-founded West Houston Professional Group.

In 1999, his career reached new heights when he mentored his daughter, Monica La Fuente Fisher, in the real estate industry that he loved. This marked the beginning of their renowned 25-year Father-Daughter RE/MAX team. His life's career work resulted in earning the RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Ray dedicated 45 years of service to the Harris County community and significantly contributing to a better society through transforming the lives of thousands of families.

Ray and Sally were blessed with three daughters and instilled in their daughters the importance of education – emphasizing to always add tools to your toolbox, setting high standards for academic success and generosity towards others. His goal was to provide them with the best education, an opportunity for higher education, and independence to follow their passion. Ray was immensely proud of his daughters' accomplishments and would talk endlessly about them.

Ray was a pillar of his community. He was always ready to help family members in need, providing support, a home, and guidance whenever required. He was rich in generosity and good works leaving a lasting impact on everyone who knew him. He would move mountains for anyone – there was never a challenge that he couldn't conquer through tough grind and persistence.

This last season of his life was filled with more time to enjoy family and fitness. Ray maintained a rigorous fitness routine. He worked out every morning at 4 a.m. at the gym then followed with a 14-mile bike ride to stay in top physical condition. His dedication to health allowed him to remain active and engaged in his family's lives, especially his grandchildren, whom he adored. They could always count on grandpa to bless them with his infectious smile, sneak off to the store to return with treats, make them laugh, love them unconditionally, make them feel proud, and sit front row at every recital and game.

Ray made family a priority, created opportunities for family vacations and time, enjoyed trips to Vegas and Louisiana for gambling with Sally and friends, loved cheering on his University of Texas Longhorns and Houston Astros, and it was always hard to pull Ray off the dance floor.

Ray led a life that the Lord would be proud of, stuck to his values, broke the cycle of poverty, raised successful adults to contribute to this world, created two generations of college scholars, and made a meaningful contribution to his community. Ray said it is important to dwell on the positive and remember that perseverance makes the difference. He fought the good fight, finished the race and did his job as a husband, parent, grandparent, sibling, son, friend and neighbor. In the words of Frank Sinatra, "I've lived a life that is full … I did it my way."

Ray was preceded in death by his mother Felicia Vela La Fuente and his father Henry La Fuente. He is survived by his beloved wife, Araceli "Sally" La Fuente; three daughters Jaime Garcia (Joe), Monica Fisher (Jeff) and Michelle Thomas (Aaron); six grandchildren Joslynn Garcia, Jaylan Garcia, Trenton Fisher, Robin "Ellie" Thomas, Anderson "Gage" Fisher, and Julia Thomas; siblings Henry La Fuente, David La Fuente and Julie Perez (Joey).

He will be deeply missed by all who knew him, but his legacy will live on through his family and the countless lives he touched. He always said he was a legend in his own mind but today we can confidently say that he is a legend. His life was a beacon of hope and an inspiration to all, showing that with hard work, dedication, and love, anything is possible.

Friends are invited to visit with the family between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 14, at Klein Funeral Home - CyFair Northwest, 9719 Wortham Boulevard, Houston, TX 77065. The Rosary will be prayed beginning at 6 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Monday, July 15, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 6646 Addicks Satsuma Drive, Houston, TX 77084. A graveside committal service will take place at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, at Assumption Cemetery, 3650 S I-35 Frontage Road, Austin, TX 78704.