Thomas “Tom” Rackley Jr., 53, of Independence, Kentucky, passed away surrounded by the people who loved him.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Tom spent his life wearing more than a few hats—and, as it turns out, quite a few uniforms. He was a retired Cincinnati police officer, worked as an EMT in Northern Kentucky, and spent much of his career as a civil servant. Later in life, he added one more title to the list: nurse.

He leaves behind his two children, TJ and Samantha, and his sister, Tammy. He was preceded in death by his mother, Lona Rackley, and his father, Thomas Rackley Sr.

He also leaves behind a lifetime of memories, laughter, and more than a few jokes that probably aren’t appropriate to print in an obituary.

We considered including some anyway.

Tom would have.

Being TJ and Samantha’s dad was one of the most important roles of Tom’s life and one he occasionally felt required a little dramatic flair. He was known to look at one of them, summon his best James Earl Jones impression, and announce, “I am your father,” before dissolving into a giggle like a little kid who had just told the funniest joke in the world.

It apparently never got old. At least not to Tom.

After retiring, Tom apparently decided retirement sounded a little too relaxing. At 50 years old—an age when many people start thinking about slowing down, Tom looked at his life and apparently thought, You know what this needs? Homework.

So he went back to school and earned his nursing degree, proving both that it is never too late to start something new and that his decision-making process was occasionally questionable.

In hindsight, there was a pretty obvious theme to Tom’s life. Whether he was serving as a police officer, responding as an EMT, working as a civil servant, or caring for patients as a nurse, he kept finding his way into jobs that involved helping people.

We’re not entirely sure he would appreciate us pointing out how wholesome that sounds, so we’ll stop there.

That was Tom.

Those who knew him knew his sense of humor, dark, quick, sometimes completely inappropriate, and very often exactly what was needed. He loved making people laugh, particularly when they probably weren’t supposed to.

His interests were equally Tom. He loved Comic Con, Weird Al Yankovic, and the movie Spaceballs. He appreciated the weird, the ridiculous, and anything capable of making him laugh. Somewhere along the way, he managed to teach the people around him that life can be incredibly hard and still leave room for humor.

Tom was a father, a brother, a friend, a police officer, an EMT, a civil servant, a nurse, and a man who remained uniquely and unapologetically himself.

There will be tears as we say goodbye to him.

There should be laughter, too.

In fact, Tom would probably be disappointed in us if there wasn’t.

And if there is another side to all of this, we can only hope Tom has already found someone willing to listen to his James Earl Jones impression. Although, knowing Tom, they probably didn’t have a choice.

Tom was loved deeply, will be missed.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, September 1, 2026, from 5-7 PM at the Floral Hills Funeral Home, Chapel A where a Celebration of Life Service will begin at 7 PM.

Burial will be private at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens.