Dr. C. Ray Asfahl's Obituary
Dr. C. Ray Asfahl was a beloved husband, father and grandfather; a professor, sailor, author, and overall great adventurer. He passed away on July 28, 2026, at the age of 87, surrounded by the love he spent a lifetime earning.
Ray was born in Enid, Oklahoma, where his family designed and manufactured Asfahl dresses, and where Ray demonstrated his love of learning and engineering at a young age. He served his country in the Air Force and built an education worthy of his curiosity: a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University, a master’s in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University, and a doctorate from Arizona State University. He spent his career as a professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Arkansas, where he cherished his students and eventually retired as Emeritus Professor. He was a founding sponsor of the university’s master’s program in Operations Management, a Registered Professional Engineer, a Certified Safety Professional, and an OSHA consultant.
Over more than 35 years in industrial safety, he consulted across the country, served on the Standards Development Committee of the American Society of Safety Engineers, and wrote textbooks, including Industrial Safety and Health Management, that ran to seven editions and were translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and Korean. Somewhere in the world right now, a student is learning to keep workers safe from a book Ray wrote.
But to see Ray in his element you had to find him on the water. He loved to race sailboats – although he enjoyed the experience more than the competition – and pioneered what he proudly called the “Asfahl slouch”: the art of skippering a race while comfortably reclined, gin and tonic in hand, steering the tiller by foot.
For decades Ray was a faithful member of Central United Methodist Church where he attended Sunday School and lent his rich bass to the choirs. He loved to dance especially to what he called “slow-fasties” like his favorite, Heard it Through the Grapevine. He climbed mountains and told great stories – especially about his hilarious adventures growing up in Enid. And like a good Eagle Scout, he was a loving family member, friend, educator, and remarkable human being.
Ray was preceded in death by his parents, Ethel and Raymond Asfahl. He is survived by his sister Eloise Crowley and brother Paul Asfahl; his wife, Kela Asfahl; his daughter Gaye Jean Allen, granddaughter April Allen-Kirschenman and husband Joel Kirschenman, and grandson Tristan Allen; his daughter Carolye Asfahl and husband Greg Tumbush, and grandson Lucca Asfahl Tumbush; his daughter Erica Asfahl and husband Nels Madsen, and step-grandson Brooks Madsen; son Kyle Asfahl and daughter-in-law Amanda Salov; and stepdaughters Erin Sadler, Cori Teeple-Henry and husband Mark Henry, and step-grandchildren Emma Kate Henry, Lily Henry, and Harrison Henry.
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