Thomas Dee Ragains, age 86, of Grand Rapids, MI and Pine Island, FL, passed away on Sunday, August 11, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. Preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Harriet Ragains, and his brother Charles Ragains, Thomas is survived by his devoted wife of 37 years, Mary Linden Ragains; his children Christine (Bill Hogan) Ragains, Patrick (Julie) Ragains, John (Kim) Kloosterman, and Christian (Desiree Six) Kloosterman; and his grandchildren, Matthew Ragains, Marcus Ragains, Morgan (Davis) Adair, Sydney Kloosterman, Robert Kloosterman, Steven Kloosterman, and Michael Kloosterman; brother, Philip Ragains; sister-in-law, Kay Ragains, and his nieces, Kelly O’Malley and Amy Todd, as well as nephews Steven and Jeff Ragains. A proud alumnus of the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University, Thomas enjoyed a successful career in marketing at Amway Corporation and had a passion for watching sports, and playing golf and tennis, as well as a love for reading. Tom was a rabid Michigan fan who admirably hid what must’ve have been bitter disappointment when his two children attended a rival in-state university. He devoured the newspaper every day without fail and like so many of his generation was an avid reader of military history books, particularly World War II and the Civil War. Tom was a jazz fan from his teens and upon hearing The Beatles for the first time famously predicted that this newfangled rock and roll would never last. Tom will be remembered for his quick wit and humorous comebacks. The challenge to his family for all of his birthdays and every Father’s Day was to find a funny card that was worthy of his high comedic standards. Family will greet friends and relatives from 11:30-12:30pm on Thursday, August 15, 2024, at O’Brien-Eggebeen-Gerst Funeral Home, 3980 Cascade Rd, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. Funeral service will follow at 12:30pm at the Funeral Home. Pastor Mike Haefner officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to St. John’s Episcopal Church, 7771 Stringfellow Rd, St James City, FL 33956.
Thomas Dee Ragains
03/01/1938
08/11/2024
One Response
Mary and family,
Tom and I are so sorry to hear about Tom’s passing. We had some fun times with him, especially before COVID. Our thoughts are with you at this difficult time. Kathy and Tom E1