Tony Ratliff (Plainview)

Tony Arthur Ratliff was born to Patty and John Ratliff on January 16, 1968, in Dallas, Texas. He moved with his family to Olton, Texas when he was about 8 years old and attended Olton schools from 2^nd grade through graduation in May 1986. He met the Lopez family in Olton, who lived just down the street from his family. Luis and Linda fell in love with him the moment they laid eyes on him and always considered him one of their sons. Most of his childhood and teenage years were spent with his Lopez brothers, Chris, Matt, Terry, and Jerry, as well as several other friends in the Lopez home. This pack of boys kept their parents and Olton on their toes all through their school years and even in their adult years.

Tony attended a youth group at a church in Olton, where he met his first Love, Jesus, His Lord, and Savior.  A love and passion for serving God and ministering to others started a fire in his soul that continued his entire life and only grew stronger and stronger over time.

Tony learned to have a strong work ethic and to do a job well at a young age as he worked with his father and siblings in the Upholstery Shop after school and on weekends. After High School he moved to Dallas, Tx to work with a close friend of the family in construction, as a “Gopher”. He also worked at a Walmart Pharmacy for some time, then for numerous years at C.E. Services in Grand Prairie, Tx.  In 2003 he became a correction officer at TDCJ for the next 20 years.  He made many lifelong friendships everywhere he worked. He stayed in touch with many of them throughout the years and expressed a great love for every single friend, when he would talk about his past. When his friends experienced joy in their lives, he rejoiced with them and shared in the hard times of sadness as well. 

Tony and Amy were friends from about the age of 11, after being introduced to one another by his mother and sister. Their families spent a lot of time together over the years.   In 1991, when Amy moved to the DFW area, they reconnected their friendship.   In just a matter of weeks, they were dating.  On June 13, 1992, Tony married the second love of his life, no Not the Dallas Cowboys! However, if you knew Tony, you know that the Dallas Cowboys and football in general, ran a close third place! 

Over his lifespan, Tony served many roles: husband, father, adopted father, grandfather, son, son-in-law, brother-in-law, correction officer, uncle, friend, patient, encourager, loan shark, mannequin handler, entertainer, alligator tamer, story teller, and many more.  His first favorite role was being a father. He adored his children and would do anything for them.  His world revolved around Grant, Daniel, Serina and Marissa.  His “kids” also included, nieces, nephews, friends of his kids, kids at all the churches he attended over the years, college students that he met and fell in love with, and anyone that was even slightly younger than him that came into his life.  Many people pick up stray animals and bring them home, Tony did his fair share of that too, however, he collected friends and people to bring home and to be a part of our family. 

Family was the most important thing to him, all of his family.  He had a deep love for his parents, his sisters, the in-laws, and the out-laws. He loved spending time with his nieces and nephews and helping to raise them over the years and be the father figure they needed in their lives. The newest addition of the family, Colter Beauregard Ratliff was the light of his days and he LOVED getting to hold him, tell others about him and show off his pictures. He was such a proud PopPop!

Tony had a burning desire to share God’s love and light everywhere he went. He would pray for and with strangers that he felt God was leading him to pray over.  He ministered to so many people over their years, just through his actions and serving others. Even when he was in the hospital each time over the past year, he found ways to be the encourager for the nurses, techs, doctors, and therapists that worked with him. With his respectful, peaceful, kind spirit, and mannerisms, he was a witness for God through his long journey this past year.   I sat outside a therapy session one day and listened to him tell the Speech Therapist how to become a Christian and offered to pray with her to receive Christ.  Even in his weakness, Christ was made Strong.

He loved serving others and ministering to their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Whether he was helping corral a horse that got loose, looking for a lost animal, helping a stranded person on the road, helping unlock a locked car, giving his big bear hugs or just his sweet smile, he touched the lives and hearts of so many people in his short 56 years of life. 

He leaves a legacy of laughter. He LOVED to have fun and laugh. Tony loved to entertain, to have parties and to have others around him, all the time. He always wanted to extend the fun of whatever he was doing and could always amp it up a notch or two just when you thought he was about to slow down. 

Even more so, Tony leaves a legacy of loving BIG!!!! 

He loved everyone he met unrestrained, unconditional, and unending.  He exemplified his Jesus in the way he loved.

He leaves a great void on this earth in the lives of the people he touched. He was welcomed to heaven by his Mom- Patty Ratliff, his Dad- John Ratliff, his Sister- Tonya Ratliff, numerous other Ratliff family members, several Loflin Family Members, his “Pseudo parents” Bobby and Kitty Shipman, and some very special friends. 

Those left to celebrate his love and life are his wife, Amy Ratliff, Sons Grant Ratliff and wife Katie, Daniel Ratliff, Daughters Marissa Ratliff, Serina Ratliff, and his grandson Colter Beauregard Ratliff- his sister Linda Ratliff Davis and her husband Bryan Davis, His nieces and nephews Valarie, Victoria, Savannah and Jonathan, Jake, Lori, Destiny, Sapphire, Diamond, Jade, and many other relatives and close friends.