Henry Ray Thacker

Henry Ray Thacker Henry Ray Thacker, 84, of Charlottesville, died on Wednesday, January 16, 2013, after fighting kidney disease and its effects for more than 14 years.

He was born in Petersburg, Virginia, a son of the late Thomas Milton and Mary Campbell Thacker. He was also preceded in death by his brothers, Thomas C. and James M. Thacker; and his sisters, Emmaline Thacker Batchelor Shifflett, Mary Elizabeth Thacker Rochon, and Margaret Inez Thacker Faulkner.

In 1949, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute after serving as the captain of Company E during his senior year. Upon graduation, he joined the United States Army Corps of Engineers and Artillery as a commissioned officer, and often told the story of seeing a newsreel on the Korean War, and then walking down the same street just two weeks later. He was extremely proud of his two years of active duty in Korea, and he continued serving in the United States Army Reserves for 26 more years, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. When he returned to Virginia after his tour in Korea, his childhood friend, Mac McManaway and his wife, Elizabeth, introduced him to her college roommate, Bettye Best Thacker, and Ray and Bettye were married seven months later in 1953. Their first years of marriage were spent in Blacksburg as Ray finished his Master's, and began work on his Ph.D.

In 1956, he relocated to Auburn, Alabama, where he became an assistant professor and then an associate professor at Auburn University. He was called up on active duty for the Berlin Crisis, and Bettye and their three children, Deborah Louise, David Ray, and Mary Leigh, all of Charlottesville, temporarily relocated to Fort Polk, Louisiana, before returning to Auburn. Ray loved teaching, but he decided to accept a position in 1964 in Pennsylvania with the United States Public Health Service, division of Water Supply and Pollution Control, which later became the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He received his Ph.D. from VPI, and graduated from the Army's Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1965. He was able to fulfill his love of teaching in the Army Reserves. Ray transferred to the Charlottesville office of EPA in 1967, and the family decided to make Charlottesville their permanent home. When the office moved, Ray transferred to Washington, D.C., and began commuting while Bettye managed the family during the week. While in D.C., he began taking such varied courses as art history, photography, real estate, sailing, and Arabic to expand his knowledge. He truly was a lifelong learner, and knew at least a little about a lot. He then put his knowledge to use, and began to do photography and real estate part-time. When the children were grown, Bettye started commuting with Ray until she retired in 1985 to care for the new members of her family, Emily Elise and Jessica (Jessie) Rae Thacker, daughters of her son, David and his wife, Deborah Moore Thacker. Ray returned full-time to Charlottesville when he retired in 1988, and took great pleasure in being "Pap-Paw". At that time, he also began working at H&R Block at Sears, and continued preparing taxes for 10 years. He loved getting to know his clients and helping them with their taxes and financial goals.

In 1998, his kidneys failed, and he began dialysis three times a week. Although days with dialysis weren't his favorites, he acknowledged that dialysis allowed him to see his granddaughters grow, graduate from college, and begin careers in teaching. One of his favorite sayings was that he wasn't raising children, he was raising adults, and he achieved his goal with both his children and grandchildren. Dialysis also gave him new acquaintances with whom to converse. He loved history and people, and was always willing to participate in a "lively discussion". In the last year, as his and Bettye's health declined, they attended JABA's adult care program together, and the staff there helped support him in dealing with her loss in October 2012. His plan was to "continue forth as Mother would want", and he enjoyed Christmas with his family. He was a very determined man, and fought a good fight for a long time, but his struggle ended peacefully this week. In addition to his children and grandchildren, he is survived by two sisters-in-law, Edna Best Hunter of Knoxville, Tennessee, and Reba Thacker, of Colonial Heights, Virginia; a brother-in-law, William Anderson of Waynesboro, Virginia; numerous nieces and nephews; and Elizabeth and Mac McManaway's children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The family will receive friends from 2 until 4 p.m. on Sunday, January 20, 2013, at Teague Funeral Home, 2260 Ivy Road, in Charlottesville.

The funeral will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Monday, January 21, 2013, at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 1500 East Rio Road, Charlottesville, Virginia. A private interment will be held at Blandford Cemetery in Petersburg, Virginia, at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the National Kidney Foundation, the Kidney Center at the University of Virginia, or another charity of your choice. The family would also like to thank the excellent staff at University of Virginia who cared for him in his last months and the wonderful staff at the Kidney Center. Their efforts allowed for many memories to be created, and made the journey easier. Friends may sign the guest register at teaguefuneralhome.com.





This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.