Rickey Paul Ator

Rickey Paul Ator, age 63, of Murphy, Texas passed away on November 20th, 2020. He was born in Snyder, Texas on February 15, 1957 to parents Verna Jo (Cook) Ator and George Ator. Rick’s first love was his family, including wife of 29 years Tami Sue Ator, their two cherished sons, Stephen and Scott, as well as adopted daughter Chelsea Britt. Rick treasured his friends and was a wholehearted lover of animals including his own sweet pets – dog Biscuit, and cats Sunny, Snowbell, and Lovey. Rick was well known for his generous spirit, opening his home as a safe haven and treating long term guests just like family when in need of shelter and kindness. Rick Ator’s life revolved around his home time with the family, enjoying dishing out IT knowledge to son Stephen, and rooting at all of Scott’s many basketball games. Rick truly adored filming anything and everything. He was also a boardgame enthusiast, with wife and best friend Tami serving as main adversary. Tami had to keep a sharp eye on Rick’s maneuvers since he was prone to miscounting and moving the wrong pieces, always resulting in bouts of good-natured teasing and peals of laughter around the board. Rick’s other hobbies included golf, photography, woodworking, and building things with his hands. So much so, that he preferred not to discard old furniture, but instead to disassemble the piece in order to make something new and creative. Some of his other enjoyments included being a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Longhorns, and avidly following the pro golf circuit. Rick is survived by Tami, Scott, Stephen and his soon-to-be wife Stephanie Rojas, as well as adopted daughter Chelsea. He also leaves behind two sisters, Diana Ator Price and Sharrylon Vestal, along with one brother, George Phillip Ator. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 pm on Monday, November 30th at Allen Funeral Home located at 508 Masters Avenue, Wylie, Texas. The funeral home can be reached at 972-442-2234 or by visiting their website. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that Rick be honored in death through memorial donations to either The American Heart Association or the SPCA of Texas.