Carroll Ray Stafford

Carroll Ray Stafford, age 86, passed away on Saturday, October 6, 2023.

Carroll was born on September 22, 1937 in Collin County, Texas to Charles Sherwood and Sarah Allene Pouncey Stafford. Carroll attended Sanborn Elementary and Nixon Junior High School before graduating from Amarillo High School in 1956.  Carroll was a stand-out athlete in boxing and football.

After high school, he received a boxing and football scholarship to attend Cameron Junior College in Lawton, Oklahoma where he earned the distinction of Golden Gloves State Boxing Champion of Oklahoma. He went on to compete in the National Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament in Chicago, Illinois.  Carroll then returned to the panhandle to play football for the West Texas State University Buffaloes in Canyon, Texas.

Carroll married his high school sweetheart, Lucille Higdon, and they were married for 65 years until the time of his death. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather.

Carroll began his professional career as a painter before accepting a teaching position at Oakdale Elementary as a physical education teacher.  He spent his entire teaching career at Oakdale where he impacted many lives in his tireless commitment to educating and caring for his students in his own special way. His teaching career was highlighted by the “Teacher of the Year” honor voted on by his colleagues before his retirement.

Carroll enjoyed riding motorcycles at the Canadian River with his boys; he was also a memorable youth sports’ coach in football, wrestling, boxing, and his well-known jump-roping teams at Oakdale. Among other things, he was an amateur artist (drawing, sculpting, and painting), enjoyed working with his hands in many capacities including carpentry, and cherished his time at the cabin he built in the mountains.  He also loved spending time with lifelong friends and telling stories with his quick wit and endearing sense of humor.

He and Lucy enjoyed many years in Guadalupita, NM before returning to Amarillo 7 years ago. He is survived by his wife, Lucille Stafford of Amarillo; sons, Charli (Penny) of Rogers, Arkansas, and Joe (Lee) of Amarillo; grandchildren, Katie Beth McCallie (Cade) of San Antonio, Texas, Peyton Stafford of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and Tristan Stafford, of Rock Springs, Wyoming, as well as a sister-in-law, Linda Stafford of Amarillo, and many nieces and nephews.

Carroll is preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Allene, a son, Collin Stafford, and a brother, Charles Stafford.

Memorial service will be Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 2:00 pm, at Boxwell Brothers Ivy Chapel, 2800 Paramount Blvd.