On Tuesday, August 24th, 2021, Rickey Ricardo Thomas, loving father to two children and grandfather to two granddaughters, passed away after a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer. Rickey, better known to his family as Mickey, was born on October 3rd, 1954, in Washington, D.C. before being adopted and relocating to South Carolina, where he would spend his youth between the two.

His first pursuit with higher education would come when he enrolled at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia. A lifelong student, Rickey would go from an inquisitive child to a decorated student who would eventually earn his Bachelor of Science in Sociology from FAMU in his late 50's while simultaneously battling blindness. Rickey persevered and ended his journey in higher education with a graduate degree in College Teaching and Learning from Walden University and a Masters in Arts in Teaching from Kaplan University. During his time at Paine College, he joined the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity and became the embodiment of the organization's motto, "Culture for Service and Service for Humanity" by dedicating his life to community service and education with the youth; culminating into a long and highly appreciated relationship with the youth of Tallahassee from his time as an educator and mentor to various children and young people across Tallahassee. His love for education and his dedication to helping uplift those who would otherwise be stepped over could only be matched by his love for his family and Christ.

Rickey was preceded in death by his mother Thelma Brewton Miller, Lucy Bell Thomas (biological mother); brothers Larry Thomas, Richard Thomas, and James Thomas; sisters Peggy Matthews (Thomas) and Carletha Jones; as well as a slew of aunts and uncles. He is survived by his daughter Anitra Shavonne Thomas, son Rashaad Ricardo Thomas, granddaughters Faith Rickelle Thomas and Aamyria Maeleah Wright; sisters Betty Richardson and Retina Holmes; brother Timothy Thomas; Aunt Bessie Mae Young along with a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, please send all sympathy card and other correspondence to Anitra Thomas, c/o GRACE Funeral & Cremations Services, Inc. P.O. Box 777; Crawfordville, FL 32326. If you would like to support the family via cash app you may do so at:  $AST82