Raymond Maurice Slade, Jr. passed away on May 26, 2024, after an illness in Austin, TX. Raymond was born on October 13, 1946, in Austin, Texas. He was raised in church, attending Northwest Baptist and Crestview Baptist. He graduated in 1965 from Lanier High School in Austin. Raymond attended Blinn College in Brenham, where he played basketball for two years. He completed his college education with a degree in mathematics from Texas State University in San Marcos. He was also a veteran, having dutifully and gratefully served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

Raymond is preceded in death by his father, mother, brother Terry, and former brother-in-law Alton Young. He is survived by his loving sister Vicki Walters, brother-in-law Bud Walters, nephew Nathan Hall and wife Mellani, niece Krista Hall and husband Anthony Reyes, six great nephews, and his cherished longtime companion Helen Whitcraft.

Born and raised in Austin, Raymond attended Wooten Elementary through Lanier High School and made many lifelong friends along the way. As one of his fondest childhood  memories, Raymond played Little League baseball under the management of his father at the North Austin Optimist Field.  In later years, long after his father's death, Raymond was instrumental in naming a field there by the Slade name.

Raymond was a proud and passionate public servant who had a long career studying water resources while employed at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Texas. He began his USGS career in 1968 as a Student Employee / Hydrologic Technician, where he collected data about surface water, groundwater, and water quality. After a few years, he became a Hydrologist and spent the rest of his 35-year career contributing to scientific advancements and numerous reports about floods, droughts, hydrology of the Edwards aquifer, urban and rural surface-water hydrology, and water quality. Raymond assisted the State highway department research program in updating flood statistics throughout Texas to aid in bridge design and floodplain management. He collaborated with scientists and historians in documenting flash floods; contributed to extreme rainfall documentation in central Texas; and used engineering skills to estimate peak floods after they occurred. He was a regular science contributor to various water-resource topics for the Edwards Aquifer, and particularly his beloved Barton Springs.

Raymond was a natural communicator. He loved to share knowledge and understanding of the hydrologic sciences, spanning a wide range of topics such as groundwater, surface water, hydraulics, topographic surveying, floods, statistics, mathematics, and geology. He had a remarkable talent to adapt to audiences of laypeople, decision makers, and researchers. He was especially supportive of students and staff to continue educational opportunities whenever possible while they worked for USGS. Many of his students matured into productive careers with the USGS or elsewhere. He was generous with his time in assisting others; especially in technical writing, editing, and communication guidance. His storytelling and love of pranks are legendary, and many of his stories and antics are part of USGS oral history in Texas.

After retirement from USGS, Raymond continued following his passion for water resources. He served on committees and boards for water-resource related organizations, and enjoyed presenting talks and reports for local, state, and national stakeholders. He worked for a time as a Hydrogeologist for the Edwards Aquifer Research and Data Center at Texas State University, as a Consulting Hydrologist, and as an Adjunct Professor at Austin Community College where he taught classes about water data collection.

Raymond was devoted to his family and friends and was a lifelong Austinite who loved his hometown. He would drop whatever he was doing to aid whenever asked. Raymond loved to have fun, whether it was playing games, bike riding, walking his dog, sharing jokes, telling stories, talking about hydrology or Barton Springs, or playing pranks. He enjoyed singing and dancing and listening to all kinds of music. He particularly loved to listen to his sister play the piano. He volunteered as a dance DJ and karaoke KJ for retirement and nursing homes, fundraisers, and non-profit groups. Raymond  lived life to the fullest and with a passion for all things that he cared for deeply.

The Celebration of Life will be held Thursday, July 18, 2024 at 10:30am at the Ramsey Funeral Home, 5600 Williams Dr., Georgetown, TX with Rev. Robert Butts officiating.  In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Union Hall Baptist Church Building Fund, 301 Seward Junction Loop, Liberty Hill, TX  78642 or Alzheimer's Association (Central Texas Chapter), https://www.alz.org/texascapital.