Ralph Thomas Lamkin, Jr. Obituary (1937 - 2026)

Ralph Thomas Lamkin, Jr. August 5, 1937 - January 2, 2026 Ralph Thomas Lamkin, Jr., 88, of Mission, Texas, passed away after a brief illness on January 2, 2026, at Mission Regional Hospital. He was born on August 5, 1937, in Martinsville, Virginia, to Ralph Thomas Lamkin, Sr. and Edith Marie (Hudson) Lamkin. On November 20, 1958, in Wabasha, Virginia, he married Sue Ann Line, she survives. Survivors in addition to his wife are their two sons, Donald (Lori) Lamkin of White Pigeon, Michigan, and Paul (Kathy) Lamkin of Topeka, Kansas; four grandchildren, Emily (Diane Storm) Lamkin, Tom (Abbi) Lamkin, Devin (Josh) Harold, and Sarah Lamkin; nine great-grandchildren; one brother, Ronald O. (Dorothy) Lamkin of La Crosse, Wisconsin. He was preceded in death by his parents and two stillborn children. Ralph was a graduate of Harvard High School in Harvard, Illinois. Following graduation, he attended Tri-State College, becoming the first in his family to pursue higher education at the collegiate level. He spent 40 years in the engineering & engineering management fields, working for several companies. The first 20 years were spent at Barber-Coleman Company in Rockford, Illinois, where Ralph and Sue raised their family. While living in Rockford, the Lamkin family enjoyed starting and running a small farm. Following his engineering passion, Ralph and Sue moved to South Haven, Michigan, where he worked and later retired from Lovejoy. Retirement took the couple south, relocating to Crossville, Tennessee, for six years before eventually settling in Mission, first as “Winter Texans” and later as permanent residents. Ralph enjoyed many hobbies, including playing golf and card games, especially bridge and euchre, which are hobbies that were passed down to his children and grandchildren. In his younger years, he also enjoyed bowling. He was an avid reader with a particular love for Civil War history, old westerns, and mystery novels, and he especially enjoyed collecting the entire set of Don Pendleton’s “The Executioner” series in paperback. Ralph was a member of the Templo Nueva Vida in Mission. A Celebration of Life service was held on January 9, 2026, at Bentsen Grove Resort in Mission. A private burial will take place at a later date at Galax City Cemetery in Galax, Virginia.