Wilford "Crazy Ray" Jones Dies [Dallas Cowboys Unofficial Mascot]

The Dallas Morning News ^ | 3/18/2007 | JENNIFER EMILY and JOE SIMNACHER

[nhoward14]

Wilford "Crazy Ray" Jones, who turned a stint selling seat cushions at the Cotton Bowl into a nationally recognizable role as an unofficial Dallas Cowboys mascot, has died.

Mr. Jones, 76, died Saturday at an Irving hospice. Friends said he suffered from congestive heart failure and had recently had a heart attack.

"Crazy Ray" entertained decades of Cowboys fans and became a Dallas institution in chaps and white boots.

"This whole thing has turned out so much bigger than I ever expected," he told The Dallas Morning News in 1981. "I never want to do anything else."

[Dysart]

[Severa]

Aww. I hadn't even heard of him but I just read the posted story and I'm *sniffles*.

Rest in Peace Mr. Crazy Ray Jones. God bless his family, friends and fans.

[csvset]

"When I first got here, I was riding a city bus and talking to a lady," Mr. Jones said in 1974. "I had a paper bag and made some sounds. She said, ‘Do you have a dog in there?' I said yes.

"So the driver said, ‘You can't have a dog on the bus.' So I threw the bag out the window.

"They all looked for the dog."

LOL. Now that is funny.

[Rightfootforward]

"Crazy Ray" was just terrific. He had a twinkle in his eyes and a big, infectious grin. No matter what he did, it was always clear that his mission was good-natured and designed to make people smile. Even little children knew that. There was nothing scary about "Crazy Ray."

He'll be deeply missed. No question about it.

[txroadkill]

I read this with a heavy heart. Ray became a close friend over the past couple of years. He used to hang out at a Wal-Mart in Dallas passing out balloon animals where I worked as a loss Prevention associate.

He never really got the respect he deserved from Jones and I think most Cowboy fans would have been really upset had they known how he lived the final years of his life.

Rest in peace Ray, you be able to sit next to God and Landry and watch the Cowboys play now in what is most definitely the best seats in the house.

[txroadkill]

Ping for the NFL ping list

Rest in Peace Ray

[Richard Kimball]

Thanks for posting that. Here's Mick Spagnola's tribute on DallasCowboys.com. Ray's in the pro football hall of fame, btw, in the fan's wing. God bless Crazy Ray.

[dfwgator]

Crazy Ray, this city is a better place for you having been here, RIP.

[NCC-1701]

I've missed him the last few years. He was always a major part of the color of the game. He made a severe a$$ kicking easier to take. I got to shake his hand once. Loved his act and he will be sorely missed. It would be nice if the Cowboys had a decal on their helmets for him this year. Crazy Ray, you'll be missed by all the Cowboys faithful.