Ralph Slone

Ralph "Buddy" Slone, 79, of Eubank, passed away Friday, April 12, 2024, at the Fort Logan Hospital in Stanford, KY.

Ralph was born in Ligon, KY on March 6, 1945 to the late Lit and Ada Slone. He graduated from McDowell High School in 1963, from Pikeville College in 1968, and earned his Master's degree at Eastern Kentucky University. He served in the army for 2 years and was stationed in Korea during the Vietnam War. He worked as a teacher and taught for a total of 37 years throughout his teaching career.

On May 12, 1971, he married the love of his life, Barbara Goble Slone. They went on to have three children: Kirby Slone & (Sherry Richards), Jody & (Melissa) Slone, and Shannon Slone. He had two grandchildren, Shelby Lowery and Taylor Slone.

In his younger years, Ralph loved coon hunting. He was a member of the Long Hollow Coon Club and wrote articles for the American Cooner Magazine. He was a mountain man and was very knowledgeable to mountain remedies. He hunted ginseng, yellow root, blood root, and lady slipper. He loved animals and was really wise to the medical care of them, so much so that his previous vet told him he should have been one.

Ralph was a natural born storyteller. He loved to joke around with everyone. He jokingly called every former student "ugly" because he could remember faces and where he taught them, but as he aged, he forgot their names. So he called them "ugly" so they felt remembered. After retirement, he enjoyed raising dogs and going to the flea market to shoot the bull with everyone. Then, as his health began to digress, he enjoyed UK basketball games and going fishing with his sons. He coached Little League and Babe Ruth baseball. He never missed a baseball, basketball, or softball game. He also went to every archery shoot his granddaughter had.

Ralph was an excellent tree grafter. He was often invited to 4-H programs where he taught several children how to graft and plant trees. He was an avid animal lover. He loved going on car rides and looking for deer and was always very excited to see some.

Ralph is survived by his wife, Barbara Slone; three children, Kirby Slone & (Sherry Richards), Jody & (Melissa) Slone, and Shannon Slone; two grandchildren, Shelby Lowery and Taylor Slone; and four siblings, Ed & (Ogie) Slone of Ligon, KY; Bessie Scalf of Beaver, KY; Anna Sue & (Bill) Howell of Bowling Green, KY; and Rex Slone of Ligon, KY.

He was preceded in death by his parents and 17 siblings.

A funeral service will be held Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 11AM in the chapel of Morris & Hislope Funeral Home.

The family will receive friends Monday, April 15, 2024 from 5 - 8 PM at Morris & Hislope Funeral Home.

Military honors will be conducted by American Legion Post #38 Honor Guard.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests expressions of sympathy be made in the form of donations to Somerset-Pulaski County Humane Society or the Arbor Day Foundation.

Morris & Hislope Funeral Home is honored to assist the family with arrangements.

Condolences may be expressed to the family at: www.morrisandhislope.com