Davis Ray Sutley, 66, of Lafayette, LA, passed away on April 20, 2020, of complications from cancer and a chronic respiratory disease. His family disagreed when he often said he “only had a face for radio,” but like a true radio man, he enjoyed highlighting stories of the community rather than his own. Fortunately for you, he has an extraverted wife and daughter who have no shame and are happy to highlight his life.

Known by friends and family as Ray, he was born on February 28, 1954, in Beeville, TX. He grew up between Texas and Louisiana with his loving parents Clark and Sally Sutley. After graduating from CyFair High School in Houston, TX, he made his way back to Lafayette to pursue a General Studies degree at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL, now The University of Louisiana at Lafayette). He proudly crammed that Bachelor’s four year curriculum into 10 years.

Throughout college, he worked at various radio stations and made a name for himself while working at KSMB in Lafayette. After graduation, he continued working in the local Lafayette radio market, going on to work for what is now Townsquare Media for over 30 years. In 1992, he met Justine Weeks through a work call after she wanted him to be the voice of USL radio promotions. They wed in 1994, and Ray happily inherited Justine’s daughter, Eden, through that union and went on to adopt her in 1997.

Throughout his life, Ray was devoted to his job and to USL Athletics, determined to even work through years of cancer treatment and experimental trails so that his family – both at work and at home – could always rely on him. He received the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters Distinguished Service Award in 2011. Ray was quite passionate about USL sports, particularly the basketball team. He worked on the basketball stats crew for over 40 years and also championed broadcasting women’s collegiate sports, primarily USL’s softball team. His family, including their many pups, meant more to him than anything else in the world, something he often mentioned. He was unendingly proud of Eden and Justine, evidenced by his dedicated attendance and support at every game, performance, graduation, or life event that either of them had.

In May 2010, Ray was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and while he wasn’t excited to lose his hair, he welcomed the opportunity to sport a porkpie hat and do his best Walter White impression. Ray will be greeted in heaven by his sister-in-law, Lori Weeks Ardoin, his brother-in-law, James Ardoin, his maternal grandparents William Herndon Jenkins and Mary Irma Bates Jenkins, his paternal grandparents Lola and Frank Sutley, as well as his beloved pups, Friedarich, Billy, Buffy, and Xander. His legendary voice and dry sense of humor will be missed by his wife, Justine, his daughter, Eden, his mother, Sally, his father, Clark, his brother, Chris, his sister-in-law, Hellen, his in-laws, Vern and Joe Weeks, Teresa Andrepont, Christy Prudhomme, Maria and Donny Berthelot, and Jolie and Terry Veillon, countless other relatives on the Weeks side, and his dogs Spike and Amos Riley.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to a memorial fund that will go towards outstanding medical bills, funeral expenses, and as they say in south Louisiana, “lagniappe” costs associated with his passing. There will be memorial service at a later date.