On August 22, 2025, I lost one of my greatest inspirations and supporters - my father, Thomas William Rucks.
In the early years of building The Rucks Group, my father (along with my mother) was a steady source of encouragement, often reminding me to “Keep Truckin’” when progress felt slow. His life was anchored around three pillars: God, family, and education - values that shaped not only who he was, but how he guided and supported me. Their belief in me gave me the courage to keep moving forward and ultimately laid the foundation for the work we’ve done over the past 17 years that has helped to improve thousands of lives.
My niece, Alyce Hopes, who also serves as The Rucks Group’s Business Development Manager, wrote a beautiful tribute to her grandfather that captures his spirit and the impact he had on our family. I invite you to read it below.
Thomas William Rucks was born on March 10, 1941, in Lebanon, Tennessee. From the very beginning, his life was shaped by the values that would come to define him: God, family, and education – always in that order.
God
God anchored everything Thomas did. God was not confined to Sundays behind the podium at Euclid Church of Christ; it infused every conversation, every interaction, and every decision he made. Those who knew him remember how naturally he shared God’s word - not as a performance, but as the purest expression of who he was. On any given evening, Thomas could be found with a Bible in hand, a phone pressed to his ear, or a word of encouragement on his lips - pouring into others, lifting spirits, and reminding them of God’s grace. For him, spreading the gospel was never a duty. It was a joy. It was purpose. It was calling. Though he rarely spoke of it, his time in Vietnam revealed his quiet courage of a man who placed his life wholly in God’s hands. Thomas walked unarmed through a world at war as a medic, standing firm in his conviction: “I cannot give a life, therefore, I cannot take a life.” Amidst imminent danger and rising death tolls, and immense pressure, he remained steadfast – believing that his life belonged first and fully to the Lord.
Family
Thomas was born to Alfred and Hority Rucks, who were also parents to Alfred “Julian” and Claudine. After losing his wife from miscarrying their fourth child, Alfred was under pressure to separate the children to have assistance in raising them, but he held fast that the family must stay together. Ultimately, Alfred later remarried Gladys, and together they had James, Mary, Jarvis, Gladys “Geneva”, Jeannette “Elaine”, and Joseph. Growing up among eight siblings meant family filled every corner of his life –shared chores, well-worn hand-me-downs, and a steady stream of laughter, lessons, and singing.
From those years, one of Thomas’s simplest and most enduring joys was born: old cars. Living along the highway, he and his brothers would watch vehicles roll past and claim them as their own - reaming, imaging, and delighting in every make and model they might one day own. His Uncle Elmo, who worked for Ford in Detroit, often arrived with gleaming new cars, and Thomas marveled at their shine. To know Thomas was to know this spark in him, the way a curved fender, a gleaming hood, or a distinctive design could bring a smile to his face.
In 1966, after returning from Vietnam, Thomas went searching for his friend David, a fellow soldier, after moving to Cleveland (Ohio). When he knocked on what he thought was David’s door, it was not his friend who answered, but a young woman named Gloria. The acquaintance he had once known as a comrade became his brother-in-law, and Gloria became his beloved bride of nearly 60 years. Together, Thomas and Gloria built a life in Cleveland, raising two daughters, Karla and Lana, and later cherishing three granddaughters: Alyce, Mackenzie, and Madison.
Just as strong as his faith was his devotion to family. Never missing a moment – graduation, recitals, milestones, great and small – his presence was not a question but a promise. To his family, Thomas was more than a provider; he was an anchor. His daughters never doubted his pride, his prayers, or his readiness to offer both wisdom and gentle guidance. Whether cheering from the audience, sitting quietly in the crowd, or speaking the truth in a moment of need, his presence was steady and sure.
Education
Education was the third pillar of Thomas’s life, nearly as sacred as God and family. He believed in the power of knowledge to build a life not only to sustain it, but to have it provide meaning. He led by example, earning his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Tennessee State University (then Tennessee A &I). His career carried him into public service, and he retired from the IRS as a Contact Representative in 2005.
But for Thomas, education was never simply about credentials. It was about unlocking potential, pursuing passion, and using one’s gifts to their fullest. His legacy in this regard is profound. Across his wife, two daughters, and three granddaughters, he encouraged and supported the pursuit of four completed bachelor’s degrees (with two more in progress), four master’s degrees, and one doctorate degree. Each of them, in their own way, reflects his belief that education is both a privilege and a responsibility.
A Life Well Lived
Thomas William Rucks lived a life of conviction, tenderness, and joy. He gave freely of his time, his wisdom, his love, and his faith. Those who knew him carry not only the memory of his presence but also the blueprint of the values he cherished most: faith as the foundation, family as the heartbeat, and education as the legacy. His story reminds us that a life well lived is not measured by what we gather by what we give away.
“…And I was blessed with a father who when we realized that there wasn’t more that the doctors could really do for him, when we had to absorb that the hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, the chronic kidney disease, the sarcoidosis, the congestive heart failure, the prostate cancer, the kidney cancer, and the leukemia had all finally won, and he could no longer breathe, with his throat too sore and raw to speak, he wrote, 'I love God and God loves me.' Then he wrote, 'God has always been with me and He will take care of me.' Then he gave us a thumbs up and waved goodbye to us.
And when he ultimately passed, and when his heart finally stopped the clouds broke way to a beautiful sunshine. And while his official time of date was 2:38, based on when the doctor came into the room to confirm his death, however, he actually passed at 2:22 on August 22 which holds a lot of significance to us. At the church where I grew up, one of the church’s favorite songs was 728B, 'Our God Is Alive.' In the song hymnal of Dad’s current church, that song is number 22. Even in his final moments, he was blessing me, blessing us, and ministering to us all with his last breath.”
Coda: Thomas is coincidentally interred at the Ohio Western Reserve Veterans Cemetery in section 22.
