of Marked Tree, AR

March 15, 1966 - July 10, 2025

Clifford 'Cliff' Aubry Ratton Jr., 59, of Marked Tree, Arkansas departed this life on July 10, 2025 at home. He was born March 15, 1966 to Clifford Aubry Ratton Sr. and Mary Ruth Ratton in West Memphis.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Clifford Aubry Ratton Sr. & Mary Ruth Ratton; his uncles, Willie 'Wayne' Hicks and Gene Kimery; aunts, Ella Mae Gray, Dorothy Whatley and Sarah Ratton; maternal grandparents, James and Mary Lois Hicks; as well as his paternal grandparents, Clifford Eugene Ratton and Flora Elizabeth Galey Ratton.

His is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 36 years, Diana Lynn Carroll Ratton; 4 kids, Taylor (Ben) Parsons, Jordan Ratton, Annie (Cody Ellison) Ratton & Dakota Ratton; 2 nephews which he saw and loved as his own kids, Jacob Churchwell and Matthew Churchwell; 5 great nephews, Lawson Churchwell, Samuel Churchwell, Ian Churchwell, Judah Churchwell and Benjamin Churchwell; 3 cousins that were like brothers, Barry Scott Carroll, Brent Carroll and Rick Kimery; a best friend of over 35 years, Terry Roark and a host of family and friends.

To know Cliff was to know all his favorite things, whether that be farming, flying, hunting, fishing, racing or sitting up at "The Case Place" in Marked Tree. Cliff loved to talk about his childhood, where he basically grew up at his grandpa Ratton's store building in Boatrun. There was not a square foot of Boatrun that Cliff had not discovered. If you saw Cliff, you saw him on wheels, whether that be a 4-wheeler, 3-wheeler or a motorcycle. He was one of the best you ever could've met when it came to driving any type of ATV, even if he hardly kept the wheels on the ground. One of the biggest things that brought him joy was his flying and farming. The day he got his pilot license was one of the happiest days of his life, third to when he married his wife and when he adopted his kids. Everyone knew Cliff farmed and he had the farmer's tan to prove it; being on a tractor, combine or in a big truck was where you could find him any day up until health issues prevented that.

Cliff loved being a dad, his kids were the most important thing in his life. (His '68 Camaro is included in with his kids, that was his first baby). He loved teaching Jordan how to hunt or running nets together in the St. Francis River or going and watching his football games. He loved teaching Taylor how to shoot a bow and he made sure the rest of us kids knew she was the best when it came to aim, with it. He enjoyed taking Annie for rides in the combine and tractor, teaching her how to run one and scaring her with Crawfish when she was little, anytime they ate them. He enjoyed running all over Poinsett County with Dakota, that was his riding buddy, the countless trip to Jordan's because they're both obsessed with their breakfast. He loved all of Jordan's football buddies coming and staying the night, his favorite being Jaquan Lott, who he loved as his own.

Cliff loved going to Mountain View to not only see his in-laws, Lawson Carroll and Carolyn Carroll, but to go to a cabin on Sunny Fox Road that him, Diana and a handful of family built; where him, his wife and eventually his children would spend countless weekends and deer seasons at; before kids, him, Diana and a host of family would spend nights around the fire making many memories and sharing quality time with one another.

Cliff's visitation will be Monday night, July 14, 2025 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. & funeral service Tuesday afternoon, July 15, 2025 at 2 p.m., both at Trinity Baptist Church of Marked Tree, officiated by Brother Shane Hardin. He is blessed to have friends and family to have to carry him one last time, all having significant importance to him in no certain order, Eric McGhee, Brent Carroll, Rick Kimery, Jaquan Lott, Mark Martin, Steve Tacker, Terry Roark and Jacob Churchwell. The family asks those who attend the funeral to please share a story of Cliff at the designated time. Everyone knows Cliff loved to talk, and if there isn't a chance for that, then he would not be satisfied.

The family wants to give a special thanks to Tonya Mason, his nurse from Dierksen Hospice, who was always there day or night, who made his entire day when he found out she rode her motorcycle out there and who was there the morning of his passing from the second she got the call at 4 a.m. until 8 a.m. The family could not have asked anyone better to be there to help make him as comfortable as possible.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude Research hospital.

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