Funeral Services for 88-year-old Jesse Ray Thomas of Cadiz, KY will be Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 11:00 AM at Goodwin Funeral Home, Inc. in Cadiz, KY
Burial will follow in Matheny Cemetery in Land Between the Lakes
Visitation:
Goodwin Funeral Home, Inc. on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 after 4:00 PM
Survivors include:
Survivors:
Wife – Paulette Caylor Thomas, Cadiz, KY
Son and daughter-in-law – Bobby R. and Deborah Lynn Thomas, Cadiz, KY
Grandson – Dustin (Hannah) Thomas
Grandson – Chase (Magen) Thomas
Great Grandchildren – Great-grandchildren, Kloe Thomas, Nolan Thomas, Grayson Thomas, and Jackson Thomas
Jesse Ray Thomas passed away on:
9:51 AM, Friday, September 29, 2023 at his home in Cadiz, KY
Born December 10, 1934, in Dawson Springs, Kentucky, he was the son of the late Jesse Lawrence Thomas and the late Jane Litchfield Thomas.
A 1952 graduate of Dawson Springs High School, Jesse and his family moved in 1954 to Cadiz. After working at a Ford dealership for a few years, he began working at Cadiz Auto Parts (NAPA) in 1959, purchasing the business only five years later. He would own and operate the business, including Cadiz Kawasaki, with his wife and son for the next 42 years. In 2008, not yet ready to retire, Jesse was hired by the Trigg County Fiscal Court, spending the next 18 years overseeing recycling efforts in the county as the solid waste coordinator. “Mr. Jesse”, as he was affectionately known, was also in charge of the summer road cleanup crew, a program he proudly helped to establish that employed high school students to help clean up local roadways. He retired from the County just this past June at the age of 88, with a record of tireless devotion and energy.
Jesse’s service to Trigg County was also evidenced in the numerous organizations he was a part of. He was an active member of Cadiz Baptist Church for many years. He was a 30-year member of the Trigg County Hospital Board, served on the boards of the Trigg County Recreation Complex, the TVA Advisory Board, as well as the U.S. Forestry Advisory Board. His involvement with the Land Between the Lakes area included the re-establishment of several hiking trails there.
A motorcycle enthusiast, Jesse and his son Bobby were very active in many off-road events in the region. Jesse established the West Kentucky Trail Riders, a local club in operation from 1970 to 1986, and founded the LBL 200, an invitation-only race that is still being run. He is also credited for organizing the first Cadiz Cruz-In in 2007, an event that was inspired by his passion for vintage cars.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Virginia Coffman Thomas, in 2017; a brother, Kenneth Thomas; and two sisters, Charlina Gossett and Doris King.
