As a young man from Henryetta, Okla., Ray Durbin knew how to rope and ride. He also developed a keen business savvy along the way.
Mr. Durbin, 82, a retired Commonwealth advertising director, died Friday after a lengthy illness.
Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
"He used to be a bull rider and a bareback rider. He roped a few calves after he got back from the war," said Durbin's adult grandson, Jody Gilroy, who lives in Morris, Okla.
Gilroy's a chip off the old block. He ropes calves today saying, "Back in Oklahoma, everybody does it."
Mr. Durbin was a native of Henryetta. A graduate of Henryetta High School, he was a platoon sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps who served during the battle for Iwo Jima. During the war, he received the Purple Heart for injuries sustained in combat.
Mr. Durbin was a graduate of Southern Methodist University's Institute of Management. In 1951, he took a job as a retail advertising salesman with the Tulsa World-Tribune in Tulsa, Okla.
From there he advanced rapidly with other newspapers.
In 1954, he became advertising salesman for the Shreveport Times-Journal in Shreveport, La.
In 1956, Mr. Durbin moved to the same job at the Beaumont Enterprise-Journal in Beaumont, Texas. He held that job until 1966, when he became the paper's retail advertising manager.
In 1972, Mr. Durbin became the advertising director at the Delta Democrat-Times in Greenville.
He became the Commonwealth's advertising director 31 years ago this month. Larry Alderman, the Commonwealth's current advertising manager, said Mr. Durbin gave him his first job in advertising.
"He was a kind man. Everyone who worked for him admired him. He was loyal and that loyalty was returned," Alderman said.
Alderman said while Mr. Durbin stepped down from his position with the paper about 15 years ago, he remained active in the community.
Mr. Durbin was a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason.
Gilroy remembers his grandfather as being interested in sports.
"He was a sports fanatic. Football was his thing. He could tell you anything about it," Gilroy said.
Johnny Jennings, a one-time ad man for the Commonwealth, remembered Mr. Durbin's first of work at the paper.
"He had an old cowboy hat in the back of his car. He was an Okie," Jennings said.
Mr. Durbin was a kind and generous boss. He also was something much more. "He was a great friend," Jennings said.
