UTICA, Ky. — Ralph E. Willis, 67, of Utica, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, from a boating accident at Lake Barkley. Ralph Edward Willis was born Aug. 21, 1954, in Henderson, Kentucky, to the late Elvis Lee and Nancy Jane Ford Willis and was married to the former Peggy Joyce Proctor Sept. 5, 1992.
Ralph started driving trucks on April 1, 1973, was the owner and operator of Willis Trucking, and was a member of Utica United Methodist Church. He was a U.S. Army Veteran and a member of Island Lodge #743 F.&A.M. and Owensboro Yellowbanks Lodge #130. Ralph loved antique tractors, tractor pulls and camping.
He was a Harley Davidson enthusiast and had been to Bike Week in Florida for 27 straight years.
In addition to his parents, Ralph was preceded in death by a daughter, Misty Willis Clary; by a brother, Roy Thomas Vaught; and by his mother-in-law, Elizabeth Jones Barber.
Survivors include his wife of 28 years, Peggy Willis; his best friend and faithful companion, Tommy; two sons, Eddie Willis (Pam), of Clarkson, Kentucky, and Brandon Williams (Christina), of Boise, Idaho; a daughter, Brittany Lanham (Nick), of Owensboro, Kentucky; a son-in-law, Todd Clary, of Henderson; eight grandchildren, Breanna Smith (Ian), Taylor Clary, Lexi Clary, Cole Williams, Lucas Williams, Lincoln Lanham, Aubree Lanham, and Elle Lanham; two great-grandchildren, Easton Smith, and Hensley Smith; a brother, Danny Willis (Janet), of Owensboro; a sister, Janie Sharp (Bobby), of Hartford, Kentucky; and his father-in-law, Dick Barber, of Island, Kentucky.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at Muster Funeral Homes, Livermore Chapel with the Rev. Daniel Allen Willis officiating. Burial will be in the Island Community Cemetery in McLean County with Military Honors conducted by the McLean County Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Post 5415. Masonic services for Ralph will be held at the cemetery. Friends may visit with Ralph’s family from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Thursday at Musters in Livermore, Kentucky.
Ralph’s services will be streamed live on www.musterfuneralhomes.com at 2:00 p.m. Thursday.
The Ralph E. Willis family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to Island Lodge #743 F. & A.M.; C/O Martin Eaton; 525 South First Street; Island, Kentucky 42350. Memorial contribution envelopes will be available at Musters in Livermore.
Share your memories and photos of Ralph at musterfuneralhomes.com.