Coach Travis Raven, 81, of Austin, TX died Tuesday, 11 May 2004 of an apparent heart attack.
He was born and raised in Austin, TX. He attended Austin public schools and was All-State Fullback his junior year at Austin High School. In 1940, he was a member of the State Junior College Championship Team at Schreiner Institute. He entered the University of Texas at Austin in 1941 and graduated in 1948 with three years in between serving in the US Ari Force. While at UT, he played football and was on one conference championship team and two winning Bowl teams.
In 1967 and 1968, his Reagan team was selected as National Co-Champions with Coral Gables, FLorida and National HIgh School Cahmpions in 1970.
On September 6, 1941, he married his high school sweetheart, Mildred "Mimi" Westling.
He coached for 26 years with several district championships, one State Baseball Championship and won thye 4A State Football Championship at Reagan High School in 1967,1968 and 1970. He coached the 1969 High SChool All-Star Team to a victory in the Cotton Bowl and he was chosed as the Texas High School Coach of the Year in 1969.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mildred "Mimi" Raven;sons, Travis Jr. of Ingleside, TX and Terry of Kingsland, GA;brother, Fran and wife Brenda Raven of Galverston,TX;uncle WIlson Raven and wife Hazel Raven of Austin;granddaughters, Misty and husband Gary Andrews of San ANtonio and Cristy and huisband Ken Orvis of Ridgway, CO;great-granddaughter, Sarah and two great-grandsons, Richard and Tracy, all of Ridgway, CO.
He was a member of Gethesemane Lutheran Church.
Interment was at Capital parks Cemetery in Pfulgerville, TX.
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"Coach made Reagan Football Power"
Travis Raven who built Reagan HIgh School into a state football powerhouse but, whose legacy was tarnished by scandal ( actually, some prominent persons in the community who played sports book wanted him stopped; he was INNOCENT of all charges) died Tuesday of an apparent heart attack. He was 81.
"He had Alzheimers the last few years but Travis knew me and told me he loved me every day," Miildred "Mimi" Raven, his wife of 62 years said Wednesday.
Raven, an Austin native who was a star running back at Austin High in 1939-40, lettered as a punter at the University of Texas in 1946. He coached at Lockhart and at Ausstin High where he guided the Maroons to the state baseball championship in 1958.
His greatest coaching accomplishments came after he was named head football coach at Reagan when it opened in 1965.
In six years at Reagan, Raven's teams won three Class 4-A Statechampionships defeating Abilene Cooper 20-19 in 1967 and Odessa Permian 17-11 in 1968 and Permian 21-14 in 1970.
His record at Reagan was 62-10-1 which included a 35-game winning streak from 1967-1969. The Raiders never had a losing season under Raven.
"His football teams were one of the things he could always remember real good,"Mimi Raven Said."He was so proud of ALL of his boys. They meant so much to him."
Wally Freytag, who served as an assistant coach to Raven and later was head coach at Reagan said Raven was a brilliant offensive strategist.
"He had a knack for play calling that still amazes me today,
Freytag sai. "He knew the game inside and out.He ran a tight ship and the kids respected him. They responded to his type of coaching very well."
Bastrop High Schoool football coachDavid Hallbrook played for Raven and followed him into coaching.
"I was in the program four years,"Halbrook said." I never heard him scream or holler at a kid. All his coaches were very positive and I think that has had an effect on my coaching style.
"The reason I became a football coach was because of my high school football coaches. They were positive influences for a lot of young men at Reagan in those years."
Raven took over as the Austin school district's athletic director in 1974 after a highly publicized scandal in which he faces a felony charge of "compelling prostitution with a minor." He was accused of inducing a 16-year old girl into prostitution with several prominent men named as clients.
A Travis County jury eventually convicted him of a lesser charge, a midemeanor count of "Engaging in prostitution." During the trial and after his conviction, Raven maintained that he was innocent of all charges.
RAven's funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Gethsemane Lutheran Church at 200 W. Anderson Lane. Visitation is 4 to 6 p.m. roday at Cook-Walden Funearl Home, 6100 N. Lamar Blvd.
In addition to his wife, Raven is survived by sons, Travis Raven Jr. of Ingleside, TX and Terry Raven of Kingsland, GA;brother Frank Raven of Galveston; two granddaughters and three great-grandchildren.