Funeral Services for 83-year-old Ralph K. Thomas of Cadiz will be Friday, January 5, 2024, at 1:00 PM at Goodwin Funeral Home in Cadiz. Burial will follow in Trigg Memory Acres.
Visitation will be at Goodwin Funeral Home on Thursday, January 4, 2023, after 4:00 PM
Survivors include:
Wife of 48 years – Helen Sutton Thomas, Cadiz
Daughter – Tina Thomas, Cadiz
Daughter – Toni Thomas, Cadiz
Daughter – Sheryl Goforth, Cadiz
Son – Ronald Bush, Cadiz
Son – Donald (Pam) Bush, Cadiz
Sister – Peggy Tomlin, Thompsons Station, TN
Eight grandchildren, Angel, Alisha, Jontaea, Kendra, Donald III, Sierra, Lakyn, and Karli
10 great-grandchildren, Ashlen, Zoi, Josiah, Elijah, Devyn, Huntley, Karsten, Kamri, Lucy, and Carter
Ralph K. Thomas passed away at 10:07 AM, Saturday, December 30, 2023, at Trigg County Hospital.
Born February 2, 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 some 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. Later in his career, he headed supplier quality improvement efforts as a 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 laughs they would share.
