Ralph K. Thomas, age 83, of Cadiz, Kentucky, passed away Saturday, December 30, 2023, at Trigg County Hospital in Cadiz.
Born February 12, 1940, in the Lamasco community of Lyon County, Kentucky, he was the son of the late Wallace and Ethylene (Cotton) Thomas.
A 1958 graduate of Trigg County High School, Ralph was one of the first employees hired at the new Cadiz plant, Hoover Ball and Bearing Co., which would later become Johnson Controls. His first job was as an assembler, but Ralph’s impressive work ethic soon moved him up the ladder as Supervisor of the Assembly Department, followed by a promotion to Industrial Engineer. After holding this position for a number of years, he was promoted to Quality Control Manager, and under Ralph’s leadership, the plant acquired the Ford Q1 Quality award, putting the facility on a more secure path for many years to come. He became a Divisional Quality Manager after this success, and later in his career, he headed supplier quality improvement efforts as Supplier Quality Development Engineer. After a long and successful career, Ralph retired in 2004 with 38 years of dedicated service.
Not only was Ralph considered a team builder at work, but also at every level of the youth baseball program in Trigg County. For decades, he volunteered his time and love of the sport as a coach, mentor, and role model to many boys and girls, not only on the field, but also in life. He gave to many causes and was a spirited participant with his family in the Relay for Life. He enjoyed researching his family genealogy and loved spending time with his family, especially orchestrating karaoke nights and the many laughs they would share.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Anthony “Tony” Thomas; sister, Sue Harrison; and brothers-in-law, Claude Harrison and James Tomlin.
He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Helen Sutton Thomas of Cadiz; daughters, Tina Thomas, Toni Thomas, and Sheryl Goforth, all of Cadiz; sons, Ronald Bush and Donald (Pam) Bush, both of Cadiz; sister, Peggy Tomlin of Thompsons Station, TN; eight grandchildren, Angel, Alisha, Jontaea, Kendra, Donald III, Sierra, Laykn, and Karli; 10 great grandchildren, Ashlen, Zoi, Josiah, Elijah, Devyn, Huntley, Karsten, Kamri, Lucy, and Carter; and nieces and nephews, Bob (Ellen) Harrison, Eric (Carmen) Harrison, Jaime T. (Bennie) Street, and Michelle (John) Nagle.
Arrangements are being handled by Goodwin Funeral Home, Inc., 138 Main Street in Cadiz, where the family will receive friends after 4:00 PM on Thursday, January 4, 2024. Funeral services will be at Goodwin Funeral Home at 1:00 PM, Friday, January 5, 2024, with Rev. Jamus Redd officiating. Burial will follow in Trigg Memory Acres in Cadiz.
The funeral service will be live-streamed at 1:00 PM, Friday, January 5, 2024, on our YouTube channel at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/user/goodwinfuneralhome1/