Paul Ricky Caldwell

Paul Ricky Caldwell was born on July 19, 1959, in Manchester, Kentucky to the late James Cloyd Caldwell and Virginia Dare Word, a miner and a homemaker. Paul Ricky was the youngest of their six children and shared the same birthday as his eldest sibling, William Caldwell.

After graduating from Clay County High School in 1977, Paul attended Union College in Barbourville, Kentucky. Then, in 1982, Paul joined the United States Air Force where he served for 8 years. In that same year, he married Tammy Davis in Lexington, Kentucky. While in the USAF, Paul studied Radiation Health Physics and Disaster Response as well as Medicine and Bioenvironmental Engineering and he worked as a Bioenvironmental Engineer. Upon exiting the military, Paul continued his work in that field as an Industrial Hygienist in Environmental Health and Safety at the University of Louisville. He later worked in Richmond, Kentucky as a Safety Coordinator and Training Coordinator with Amazon until he was no longer able to work.

Paul loved and cherished all of his family and enjoyed time spent with everyone. Even though Paul never had any children, he loved his nieces and nephews as his own. And he never hesitated to share that with them.

Paul also loved sports and his two favorite teams were the University of Louisville Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was a diehard fan and always rooted for both teams.

In 2017, Paul moved to Indianapolis, Indiana to be closer to his older sister Fanetta Moody. Because of his medical condition it was necessary for him to live near family and Fanetta made sure he had everything he could ever want or need. The only thing he asked was to make sure he made it back home to Manchester, Kentucky. Paul Ricky remained in Indianapolis until he took his last breath on May 28, 2022. And now he is back home.

Paul was preceded in death by his mother, Virginia Caldwell in 1995; his father, James “JC” Caldwell in 2000; and his niece, Carla Pennington in 2016.

He is survived by his siblings, William Caldwell, Jackie Pennington, Wanda Muse, James Caldwell (Tequita), and Fanetta Moody (Reginald): along with his nieces and nephews, Glenn Caldwell, Chris Caldwell (Krystal), Richard Pennington, Jennifer McKinney (Jamal), Kesha Pennington, Lee Ann Muse, Tiffany Muse, Alicia Henderson (Maurice), Olivia Caldwell, Jay Caldwell, David Walker, and Kellee Halsell (Ramon).