Even in death, Wilford "Crazy Ray" Jones can draw a crowd.
More than 500 people – from famous Dallas Cowboys players to ordinary fans – turned out Saturday to say their final farewells to the man who entertained the crowds at Texas Stadium and other venues for more than 40 years.
Mr. Jones, 76, died of congestive heart failure March 17 at an Irving hospice.
As the unofficial Cowboys mascot, Crazy Ray was known for his trademark chaps and white hat, the balloon animals he fashioned for children, and his high-decibel whistle.
"You could hear that whistle above the roar of 65,000 people at Texas Stadium," Murphy Martin, the longtime Cowboys announcer, said at the public memorial service.
Mattie Jones, Mr. Jones' wife of 53 years, was grateful for the turnout.
"It meant everything to me, because Ray was a people person," she said.
Crazy Ray was remembered at the service for the joy he brought to thousands of sports fans, his deep faith and his tireless devotion to the team he loved.
"When the Cowboys became America's Team, Ray Jones became America's Mascot," Mr. Martin said.
Watching Crazy Ray entertain "was a big part in motivating me to get involved in the Dallas Cowboys," current team owner Jerry Jones said in eulogizing the man he called "an icon."
Former Cowboys fullback Robert Newhouse said he called former teammates and other ex-players when he learned of Ray's death. "Most players agreed that Ray was the greatest fan of all times," he said.
Former Cowboys running back Calvin Hill told of taking his son to watch a game, but the youngster didn't see his father score a touchdown because he was more interested in the antics of Crazy Ray.
"He touched millions and made them feel good about themselves," Mr. Hill said of his friend of more than 30 years.
RON BASELICE / DMN
Fans over look Texas Stadium after a memorial service for Wilford "Crazy Ray" Jones.
Zema Williams, unofficial mascot for the Washington Redskins, showed up at the service wearing his signature Indian regalia.
But Chief Zee removed his colorful headdress and donned a Cowboys cap to honor his friend and rival.
Mr. Jones, a Nacogdoches native, came to Dallas in 1953 to shine shoes but soon became known as the Pied Piper of Elm Street for entertaining children with sleight-of-hand tricks and balloon animals.
In the 1960s, he began selling seat cushions at Dallas Texans games at the Cotton Bowl.
But his dancing and clowning soon eclipsed the souvenir sales, and the Cowboys asked him to concentrate on entertaining the fans.
While Crazy Ray remained a devoted Cowboys fan to the end, failing health sidelined him in recent years.
When the Joneses were overwhelmed by medical and utility bills two years ago, friends and family came to their aid.
"It's the fans who paid off his mortgage and paid off the debts," Wayne Walker, a neighbor who launched a fundraising campaign to help his friend, told the crowd at the service.
Perhaps the greatest tribute to Crazy Ray came from fans who gave up part of their Saturday to pay their respects to a man they knew only from his sideline routines.
Jeanna Gonzales of Bedford attended the service with her family.
"He's like family," she said. "I've grown up watching him. "He was a part of my childhood."
