Obituary of William Ralph Vaughn

William Ralph Vaughn, 81, passed away at home in Chickamauga, GA on July 4, 2021 surrounded by his loving family. Ralph was born on January 24, 1940, in Daylight, TN to Earl William Ralph Vaughn and Annie Lee Maynard Vaughn. He married Janet “Jan” Carlson Alexander at their home in Lakesite, TN, November 18, 1978, where they lived until July 2020 when they moved to Chickamauga to be near family. Ralph worked for the City of Chattanooga in the Fleet Maintenance Police and Fire department for 25 years as a certified master diesel mechanic and fabricator. His knowledge of mechanics started when he was a very young boy. He was a master at fixing a vehicle or anything mechanical or electrical and fabricating parts. He built his first engine at 8 or 9 years of age and that was his passion and life’s work going forward. He built the V-8 engine in the 1950 Ford driven by Robert Mitchum in the movie “Thunder Road”. He built mega race car engines extending over 25 years or more racing on dirt track and endurance races in Sebring, Florida. His first drag car “Miss Carriage” was one of his many favorite race cars, later turning more to dirt track. When his race car or other race cars started their engines his adrenalin shot up, he just loved the race but mostly the building of precision engines. He won many trophies over several years both with drag racing and dirt track. He loved to hunt and fish, many times stating when coming home after a week deer hunting that he believed he loved the outdoors as much or more than the hunt. Something always interesting occurred for him during his hunting and camping trips and still love hearing the stories of his hunter buddies escapades, especially the one in the middle of the night when they all took turns standing vigil when they heard gun shots. They found out next morning that their canned biscuits had gotten too close to the stove and they were exploding sounding like gun shots. He loved to be out amongst nature above all. All of our family/friends loved the endless stories he shared whether it was building engines, racing on the streets back in the day, or hunting tales. There was never a dull moment around this giving kind man. He loved the Lord from his time as a young boy on Signal Mountain to his elder years at Dallas Bay Baptist Church in Lakesite, TN. There was nothing that soothed him more than listening to gospel music. Ralph is survived by his loving wife Jan, daughter Kari Alexander Wilson (Preston), granddaughters Lacey Shrader (Ricky) and Holly Sanders (Kyle), 3 great grandchildren, Keagen, Aubrey, and Bristol, son Kenneth Rex Hudson, very special nephew Malcom Ramey and niece Zea Ramey, granddaughter Chelsey Wilson King (Josiah) and their 3 beautiful children, as well as very special friend Robin Boyd who was a reloader and firearm enthusiast who helped clear our home and Ralph’s shop prior to moving for tireless mega hours/weeks/months . He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Patricia Ann Vaughn Woodlee and sister in law Arloa Carlson Dahl (Morris). All services will be private. Arrangements by Legacy Funeral Home, 8911 Dallas Hollow Road, Soddy-Daisy, TN 37379, (423) 843-2525. To share memories, photos or condolences please visit www.legacyfuneralhome.com