Ryleigh Thomas

Miss Ryleigh Cecillia Nichole Thomas, age 2, entered into eternal rest Sunday, January 7, 2024.  She was born January 20, 2021, in Knoxville, Tennessee and was the daughter of Austin Derek Smith and Heather Chassity Nichole Thomas Smith.

Ryleigh was a girly-girl who loved playing dress up, always changing outfits multiple times, playing with makeup and jewelry, especially necklaces, painting her toenails, and playing with her baby dolls.   She liked to team up with her brother, Austin, to terrorize their sisters and loved to give her momma a hard time while she was folding laundry.  She was rambunctious, always running around and following her parents around.  Known as “Little Monkey” to her daddy, she was sweet, kind, and would not hurt anything, not even a ladybug.  She also loved to draw, write, show off her counting skills and play with her momma’s hair.  Ryleigh was loved by everyone.  Her beautiful personality, her hugs and her kisses will be deeply missed.

Surviving are: her parents, Austin and Heather Smith; sisters, Kayleigh Thomas and Shilah Smith; brothers, Austin Smith, Jr. and Ayden Smith; grandparents, Edgar M. “Eddie” Smith (Shannon Pye) of Lodge, Gayla Kiernan of Decatur, Alabama, and Ernestine Nichole Thomas of Cleveland, Tennessee; great grandmother, Sue Smith of Walterboro; aunts, Makayla (John) Ketzler of Yuma, Arizona, Meagen (Matt) Brown of Georgia, Brittaney Thomas of Cleveland, Tennessee, and Ashley Ellison of Cleveland, Tennessee; uncles, Richard C. (Ashley) Smith of Lodge, Edgar T. (Star) Smith of Decatur, Alabama, Jeremy Thomas of Cleveland, Tennessee, John Stratton of Polk County, Tennessee, and Freddy Stratton of Polk County, Tennessee; and a host of cousins including Landon, Dylan, Levi, Greyson, Elizabeth, Kaden, Isabella, Bethany, Emma, Kayden, Bryson, Neveah.

Flowers will be accepted or memorial contributions to help victims of house fires may be made to: The American Red Cross-Disaster Relief, Post Office Box 37839, Boone, Iowa 50037-0839, or at www.redcross.org .

Funeral services will be held 11 o’clock, Tuesday morning, January 16, 2024, at Little Swamp United Methodist Church, Hunters Chapel Road, Smoaks.  Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

The family will receive friends for a time of visitation Monday evening from 6 until 8 at THE BRICE W. HERNDON AND SONS FUNERAL HOMES AND CREMATORY, WALTERBORO CHAPEL, 1193 Bells Highway, Walterboro, South Carolina, 29488.  Visit the guestbook online at: www.briceherndonfuneralhome.com.