John Riley Tomes, age 80, of Caneyville passed away at his home on Tuesday, June 29, 2021 after a long battle with cancer.  John was a retired electrician for the Kentucky State Toll Road, Wal-Mart, and owner of Ready Electric Company, an E-5 decorated Vietnam veteran, and an Honor Guard Commander for the Ohio County Honor Guard.

John entered the United States Army on September 5, 1961 with Basic Training at Ft. Knox Signal School, then Ft. Gordon, Georgia as a Communications and Radio Repair specialist to repair field radio equipment with the 540 ^th Engineer Combat Group, who were in Germany for two and a half years.  He was stationed with the 41 ^st Signal Battalion in Ft. Gordon, Georgia in 1962, then went to Germany a month later, to Fort Ord, California in 1964, to Fort Lewis, Washington in 1965, to Vietnam in June of 1965, to Quin Hon (South Vietnam) in 1966, to Colorado later in July of 1966, then back home to Grayson County, where he was honorably discharged from the Army on March 15, 1967 and received numerous awards.

John was the son of Olan Jackson Tomes and Ida Clara Allen and the husband of Diana Decker Tomes.  Close siblings and family members include:  a sister Margaret (& Russell-deceased) Higgs of Millwood, brothers: Jackie Eugene (& Sue) Tomes of Falls of Rough, Jerry Wayne Tomes of Caneyville, James Elbert (& Cindy) Tomes of Leitchfield, and Joseph Daniel Tomes of Caneyville.

John was preceded in death by his parents and a very special nephew Herman Decker.  Loving family members and children of John Riley and Diana Decker Tomes include:  Gail Lyn (& Kenny) McCrady of Caneyville and Tracie Leigh (& Todd) Johnston of Leitchfield.  Grandchildren are:  Weston Hunter McCrady (fiance Ashley Hines, Hunter & Kaydi Stone) and Hannah Elizabeth McCrady (Zach Willis) both of Caneyville, and Halee Johnston (& Adam) Smith of Leitchfield, and great grand-children Jackson Coy Johnston, Lily Quinn, and Landry Kate Johnston Smith, all of Leitchfield.

John was saved on March 25, 1956 at Smalls Grove Church, and later was set aside as a deacon and elected the Adult Sunday School Teacher at Pleasant Valley Church for several years. He helped in many local pastoral and deaconship ordinations as moderator and recorder.  John also enjoyed leading veteran funerals throughout Grayson, Butler, Edmonson, and Ohio Counties and led the construction and design of the Ohio County Veteran Memorial, working directly with the Governor.

Services are to be held at Dermitt Funeral Home in Leitchfield at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, July 3, 2021 with burial to follow at Pleasant Union (Old Wilson) Cemetery conducted by Brother Jerry Weedman.  Visitation will be held 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday, July 2, 2021 and on July 3, 2021 from 9:00a.m. till time of service.