Grady Thomas

Grady Wendell Thomas, age 95, of East Ridge passed away at Emory Ridge Memory Care, located near the home of his son in Powell, Tennessee. He was born in 1928 on Sand Mountain in De Kalb County, Alabama to Eldridge C. Thomas and Ruby Wilson Thomas. As the oldest of five children and growing up on a farm during the Depression, Grady was accustomed to hard work.

Before he was 20 years old, Grady taught school and drove a school bus. He and his wife, Angie, moved to the Chattanooga area shortly after their second child was born and for most of their marriage lived in East Ridge. Grady worked at Crane Company, Ross-Meehan and TVA before his retirement

The love of Grady's life, his wife, Angie Smith Thomas, predeceased him earlier this year after 78 years of marriage. They knew each other for over 90 years, having met and loved each other as young children. They eloped to be married the day after Grady graduated from high school.

Grady was also predeceased by his daughter, Judy Thomas Kerley, his infant son, Gary Thomas, his parents and one of his brothers, Wilson C. Thomas. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Wendell and Kathy Thomas; by four grandchildren, Christian Kerley and his family, Natalie Callahan and her family, Matt Thomas and Craige Thomas; by five great-grandchildren; by two brothers, Hassel Thomas and Durwood Thomas, by his sister, Boyce June Thomas Brewer, and by several nieces and nephews.

Family and friends are invited to a funeral service and internment of Grady which will occur at Tennessee-Georgia Memorial Park in Rossville, Georgia on Friday, August 23, 2024 at 1:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to your favorite charity benefiting children and families.

You are invited to share a personal memory of Grady or your condolences with his family at his online memorial located at www.companionfunerals.com. Companion Funeral Home of Cleveland and the Cody family are honored to assist the family with these arrangements.