Services for Reigh Heflin Thames, 84, of Hamilton were held August 13 at Calvary Baptist Church in Hamilton. Burial followed at Shive Public Cemetery.
Reigh was born May 14, 1928, in Austin to George Emmett Thames and Vernie Orr Lann Thames. He was raised and educated in Austin, where he lived until 1997, when he moved to Shive. He served in the U.S. Navy on Tinian and Guam islands in the Pacific during WWII. He began his working career in Austin at Haile’s Airport at the age of 13. He was employed at Camp Mabry, U.S. Post Office, Southwestern Bell, AT&T, Lucent Technologies, retired from Lucent and then worked at TxDOT. He married Sue Floyd December 31, 1965, in Austin.
Reigh was ordained as a deacon at Hillcrest Baptist Church on September 24, 1984, in Austin. He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church of Hamilton, where he served as an usher and was a Lifetime Member of VFW 8313 of McDade.
In 1970, Reigh and Suzy moved to McDade, where they lived on a 100-acre ranch and raised Charolais cattle and horses. They moved to Elgin in 1982 and built a house in town and enjoyed living the city life for a while. Following this, they moved back to Austin. Reigh loved the country and the country life, so upon his retirement from TxDOT in 1997 they moved to a ranch in Shive and raised Black Angus cattle and horses. Due to a horse accident and failing health, he and Suzy moved into Hamilton. He loved the fact that Hamilton only had three traffic lights!
Reigh was preceded in death by his parents, George and Vernie Thames; wife Rita Cox Thames in 1960; sister Dora Thames; brothers Willard and Ramond Thames; mother-in-law Eulalia Baker; granddaughters Elizabeth Grace May and Jessica Ann May of San Saba; and grandson Andrew Eugene Thames of Bastrop.
Survivors include his wife of 47 years, Suzy; father-in-law Ernie “Papa” Baker; son Darrell Jay Thames of Austin; three daughters, Suzette Thames May and husband David of San Saba, Janet Johnson of Port Aransas and Rebecca Beck of Buda; three sisters, Dorothy Chard and husband Art of Stevensville, Mont., Virginia Oliver of Austin, and Roberta Steadham of Austin; three brothers, Melvin Thames and wife JoAnn of Buda, Kenneth Thames and wife Francis of Tyler, and Roland Thames and wife Carolyn of Round Rock; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers please send memorials to Calvary Baptist Church Reigh Thames Memorial Fund, 805 E. State Hwy 22, Hamilton, TX 76531.
