Ronald "Bubbie" Kay Jr.

Ronald Lee Kay, Jr. (Bubbie Kay), 54, of Ripley departed this life on May 23, 2022 following a long battle with drug addiction. Bubbie was born prematurely on October 10, 1967 and began his zest for life, fighting spirit and mischievous ways. He enjoyed being outdoors to enjoy nature, turkey and deer hunting, or time with family playing around. He grew up learning to build with his hand and used those skills throughout life to tear apart and rebuild engines and machines. By trade he was a carpenter and welder. He was a loving person who worked from sun up to sundown, rarely took time to rest for himself and ensured that each member of his family and friends were taken care of, whether it was fixing a car or making sure his “kids” had a Christmas tree and presents. He often gave more than he had, rarely keeping anything for himself. He was a firm believer in protecting children and always had a smile for each child he encountered, he was loved by all he met and was always a big kid himself. Bubbie always had a plan, always kept hope and always had a goal in mind and encouraged others to follow their dreams. Bubbie fell prey to addiction that he was unable to overcome in this lifetime. Though he tried and succeeded many times to stay sober, the damage to his body was extensive and nearly 7 years ago he was given less than a 5% chance of living through the night. His faith in God, his fighting spirit and his family’s support saw to it that he was to overcome those odds. He often encouraged other afflicted with addiction issues to seek help for recovery. Despite his best efforts he was unable to maintain his sobriety. He did maintain his faith in God, his love for his family and accomplished so many of his goals in the time he was given. Those left to cherish those special memories of the funny, loving and mischievous son, brother and Uncle Bubbie are his parents Ronald Sr. and Sandra Kay; sister Kelly (Tim) Saunders, younger brother Scott (Donna) Kay and his fiancé Holly Hamon, 2 children (Trey and Amber); his nieces whom he thought of as his own, Bobbi Jo (Anthony) Nichols and Samantha (Ron) Batten; his nephews he thought of as brothers Timothy (Kira) Robinson and Ronnie (Kyndrah) Robinson; nephews Clifford and Colton Kay and niece Rebeckah. Bubbie is also survived by 3 grandchildren, 14 great-nieces and nephews and 1 great-great niece, as well as several aunts, uncles, cousins and a host of friends. In honoring Bubbie Kay, please donate to your local rehabilitation center or child advocacy groups. Anyone seeking assistance for substance abuse please call your local agency or non-profit for support. Per Bubbie’s wishes there will not be any public services. Online memories and condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.waybrightfuneralhome.com