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Milton Raymond Hatcher Obituary

Milton Raymond Hatcher

SAN ANTONIO – Milton Raymond “Buddy” Hatcher, age 89, went to be with the Lord on February 6, 2023 at home surrounded by family.  Born and raised in Beeville, Texas to Milton and Gladys Hatcher, he was one of four children.

Living his entire life on a ranch, Buddy was affectionately known as “Country” and was active in Future Farmers of America (FFA) and the school newspaper.  His prized Brahman bull “Buster” captured awards in the Bee County Livestock Show.

While President of the high school FFA chapter, Buddy’s essay contest entry captured first prize,  three Angora goats.  Using the mohair from the Angora goats to weave a blanket for Shirley R. Roberts, Buddy wooed and married his love at the end of their senior year in high school.  They were married for 62 years and had three children, Sherry, Joy and Ray. They lived in various places but called Mission, Texas home for over 50 years and then moved to San Antonio, Texas where they lived for over 15 years.

Buddy was a man of few words and quiet strength – physically, spiritually and in character.  His strong hands could build or repair anything for himself and others in his extensive workshop.  Buddy loved the outdoors, especially farming, ranching, hunting, and fishing. He pursued these passions on his ranch property in Bee County.  Buddy also enjoyed gardening.  His home garden provided a bountiful harvest, especially of his prized tomatoes, which he shared with others including local non-profit organizations.

Buddy also enjoyed challenging his mind with other activities such as watching his two favorite TV shows, The Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, reading the San Antonio Express-News from cover to cover and working diligently on word search puzzles.

Buddy loved people and enjoyed visiting with everyone.  He was the neighbor everyone could count on to lend a hand or a sympathetic ear. He was also a master storyteller – some were true, some were stretched and some were simply tall tales.  He especially enjoyed sharing the true story about the biggest fish he ever caught – a 74 pound yellow catfish!  He could not stop laughing at himself whenever he recounted the story about the time he burned down the outhouse while hiding there and smoking grapevines when he was 12 years old.  As part of his punishment, he had to rebuild the outhouse!

Buddy was a dedicated husband and a hands-on father, grandfather and great-grandfather.  Working shift-work allowed him time to care for his children even when they were sick, to do cooking and housework, and to take his children and grandchildren fishing, gigging frogs and driving around the countryside.  He instilled in his family a sense of working hard, figuring things out, serving God and caring for others.

As a Christian with a deep faith, Buddy used his gifts to serve the Lord for over 50 years as a member of the First Christian Church in Mission, Texas and more recently at Coker United Methodist Church in San Antonio, Texas.  He served God through service as a volunteer, Deacon, Elder, Trustee and Chairman of Property and Grounds.

Buddy also served his community as a Little League baseball coach, as a volunteer in various civic organizations and as an active participant in the Masonic Lodge. He was a Master Mason in his Masonic Lodge #1061 in Mission, Texas for over 50 years.  Buddy was Worshipful Master of Lodge #1061 several times and received his 50 year active membership award in 2016.  He was also an active member of Masonic appendant bodies Scottish Rite and Alzafar Shrine International in San Antonio, Texas. For over 15 years Buddy participated in the Shrine Hospital Corps Program driving children from the Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio to and from Houston and Galveston hospitals.

Buddy served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.  When he returned to civilian life, he worked for Central Power and Light and retired after 36 years of service.

Buddy was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Shirley R. Hatcher, and is survived by his brother Wayne Hatcher (Jean), children Sherry Hatcher (Luis de la Garza), Joy Nied (Michael) and Milton R. “Ray” Hatcher II (Shanna).  He is also survived by grandchildren Dr. Miguel de la Garza, Dr. Gabriel de la Garza (Julie), Lucas de la Garza, Skylar N. Plunkett (Jamie), Alexandra N. Townsend (Ben) and Kennedy Hatcher along with great-grandchildren Exiquio (Zeke), Cecilia and Sofia de la Garza; Allison and Caitlin de la Garza and Cohen and Nolan Plunkett.

Our family would like to thank Mr. James Eklund, Dr. Robert Goff and Dr. Melissa Isbell for their loving kindness.

Buddy’s parting words of love for everyone:

“Take your time going, but hurry back!”

            A celebration of Buddy’s life will be held Saturday, March 25, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at Coker United Methodist Church, 231 E. North Loop Road, San Antonio TX  78216. The service will be live-streamed on the Coker.org website in real time.

To honor Buddy, please consider gifts to: Shriners Children’s Texas, 815 Market Street, Galveston TX  77550, lovetotherescue.org or Mobility Worldwide San Antonio, (The Personal Energy Transportation Project PET), mwsanantonio.org/donate/.

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