Marvin Theodore Ratliff, Jr. September 02, 1942 - August 31, 2022 Marvin Theodore Ratliff, 79, peacefully gave up to Alzheimer’s and is now at rest with the Lord. Marvin was born on September 2, 1942, in Del Rio, Texas to Marvin Theodore Ratliff, Sr. and Hazel Latham Ratliff. Marvin is preceded in death by his grandparents, Oscar Norman Ratliff, Pearl Sullivan Ratliff, James R. Latham and Nettie Latham, his parents, Marvin and Hazel Ratliff, and his brother Ronald Norman Ratliff. After graduating from high school in Del Rio, Texas in 1960, Marvin attended Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. He developed a love for Texas A&M and everything “Aggie” and was an avid fan of Texas A&M football and all other sports. Upon graduation from A&M, Marvin attended the School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Science in College Station. He moved to San Antonio, Texas to be a small animal veterinarian. He loved his clients and their pets and practiced from1969 - 2017. Marvin met his wife, Mary Ann Trice, in San Antonio in 1970 when Mary Ann became the owner of a puppy. Marvin was recommended to her as the perfect vet for her puppy, and a relationship was in the making. They were married on February 3, 1973, in Midland, Texas. Marvin loved his two sons, Brent and Travis, very much. He was extremely proud of each of them as Brent chose the Naval Academy and flying, and Travis followed in his footsteps at Texas A&M and later attended the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry in San Antonio. Marvin loved people and spending time with family and friends. He loved our family Labor Day hunting trips to San Saba, thank you Connie and Buddy Adams. The boys learned to hunt and ride horses on these trips. Marvin looked forward to his yearly hunting and fishing trips with his best friends from Del Rio (Benton, Billy, and Jerry.) He also enjoyed the yearly Veterinarian fishing trips. Our Thanksgiving feasts became legendary and grew and grew every year. Thank you to Bob and Cynthia Moran (lifelong friends of Marvin’s from college) and Marvin, for creating the feasts. Our home was truly filled with thanksgiving blessings each year as we enjoyed 50 years with loving family and friends. Visiting with family and friends was so enjoyable to him. Travis’ dental office looked forward to the treats that Marvin always took to them. Those of you who ran into Marvin at the grocery store knew that your trip was going to be extended. He also took pleasure in tooling leathercrafts such as checkbooks and wallets. Family relationships were extremely important to Marvin. Marvin loved Brent and Travis’ wives (Ashley and Leah) as if they were his own daughters. His family was blessed with seven grandchildren, and Marvin loved each of them. Our home is filled with pictures of the family. As Marvin’s Alzheimer’s became worse, he would often move from picture to picture of the grandkids holding and touching the seven pictures trying to remember each of them. We were blessed to be able to take each of Brent’s kids on a special trip as a they turned 10 (combined Will and Caroline’s trip because of the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s). We have three books of the trips, and Marvin would pick up each of these books many times and look through them to try to remember the trips. Marvin is survived by his wife, Mary Ann, sons, Brent and Travis, daughter-in laws, Ashley and Leah, his brother Tommy Ratliff and seven grandchildren, Zach, Nicholas, Will, Caroline, Parker, Hudson, and Lynna.
In lieu of flowers please donate to the Alzheimer’s Association.
ALZHEIMER’S POEM: DO NOT ASK ME TO REMEMBER DON’T TRY TO MAKE ME UNDERSTAND, LET ME REST AND KNOW YOU’RE WITH ME, KISS MY CHEEK AND HOLD MY HAND. I’M CONFUSED BEYOND YOUR CONCEPT, I AM SAD AND SICK AND LOST. ALL I KNOW IS THAT I NEED YOU TO BE WITH ME AT ALL COST. DO NOT LOSE YOUR PATIENCE WITH ME, DO NOT SCOLD OR CURSE OR CRY I CAN’T HELP THE WAY I’M ACTING, CAN’T BE DIFFERENT THOUGH I TRY. JUST REMEMBER THAT I NEED YOU, THAT THE BEST OF ME IS GONE, PLEASE DON’T FAIL TO STAND BESIDE ME, LOVE ME ‘TIL MY LIFE IS DONE. --OWEN DARNELL