Raymond Garber

Raymond (Ray) Alan Garber, beloved son, brother, father, uncle, and grandfather, passed away on Friday, August 21, 2026 (8 Elul 5786) at his home in Houston, Texas. He was 75 years old. Ray was born on July 11, 1951, to the late Laura (née Coplon) and William Garber. He grew up in Schenectady, New York, with three siblings, Daniel, Gerald, and Elissa, and numerous members of his extended family. After graduating from Linton High School, Ray attended the University of Rochester and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he studied geology. During his studies, Ray worked at the Weitzman Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. He found significant meaning in his nearly 40-year career in the oil industry, with stints at Gulf and Chevron, which allowed him to travel the world while continuing to be a student of the Earth. His career journey included multiple stops in Houston, Texas, as well as Anaheim, California, Calgary, Canada, Midland, Texas, Atyrau, Kazakhstan, and Luanda, Angola, before finally returning to Houston shortly before retirement. He was also a proud member of the Houston Jewish community and a dedicated attendee of Saturday morning services at Beth Yeshurun’s Chapel minyan. In retirement, he enjoyed spending time with friends and family, birding, photography, traveling the world, and of course, religiously following his beloved Houston Astros. Ray was known for his unrestricted kindness and outgoing personality, which endeared him to those around him. He was a devoted father to his children and their partners and always supported them without question. His keen sense of humor shone through all of his interactions and remained with him even as his health declined. Ray is survived by his three sons, Jonathan Garber and his fiancée, Corey Kestenberg, Joshua Garber and his wife, Ana Sofia Semo Garcia, and Zachary Garber and his wife, Keren Marks-Garber. Ray was thrilled to be the grandfather of Dvir Garber and Talya Garber, whom he loved to visit in Israel and to watch grow up. Ray is also survived by his brother, Daniel Garber, and his wife, Susan Garber-Paul, and his sister, Elissa Garber-Hyman and her husband, James Hyman. He is preceded in passing by his mother Laura (1976), his father William (2016), and his brother Gerald (2010). The family is grateful for the compassion and care shown by Ray’s doctors, nurses, and caregivers in his last days. A burial service will be held at 9:30 am on Tuesday, August 25th, 2026, at the Congregation Agudat Achim Cemetery in Rotterdam, NY. In lieu of flowers, Ray requested that donations be made to the National Down Syndrome Society (https://ndss.org/), Special Olympics (https://www.specialolympics.org/), or Magen David Adom (https://afmda.org/).

Raymond Garber

July 11, 1951 - August 21, 2026