Dr. Ralph Irvin Rayles, aged 73, passed away December 28, 2021. Born March 21, 1948, Dr. Rayles grew up in Taswell, Indiana and graduated from English High School in 1966. He attended undergraduate school at Indiana State University and then went on to pursue his Doctor of Medical Dentistry degree from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry. There, during his junior and senior year, he was president-elect and president respectively of the Louisville Chapter of the American Student Dental Association.

After his graduation from dental school in 1973 he moved with his wife and their infant daughter to Glasgow, Kentucky, where research had revealed an increasing demand for dentists. There, he set up an independent dental practice and grew a family. In the 1980s, he pursued further education at the University of Kentucky to certify himself in the management of temporomandibular joint pain, and spent several years helping people with TMJ pain manage their discomfort with injections in both his practice and in the hospital setting. Also, during that time, he operated a second dental practice in Tompkinsville, Kentucky, which enabled many of his rural patients to see him more easily.

Dr. Rayles was an avid lover of basketball. He played varsity basketball in high school and was affectionately known by the team as "the fastest flea in the west" due to his quick moves and short stature. Later in life he found himself in the minority when he loyally cheered the Louisville Cardinals basketball team of his alma mater in a town full of University of Kentucky basketball fans. On nights when the two teams played, he good-naturedly batted off telephone calls from ribbing University of Kentucky Wildcats fans, always enjoying the camaraderie. Additionally, in his entire life, he never missed a season of March Madness.

Dr. Rayles loved gardening, fishing and food, and was an excellent cook who enjoyed talking about the details of food preparation. He had a smart mind and a clever wit, and will be greatly missed by his family. He is preceded in death by his parents, Richard Rayles and Doris Rayles, and his brother, Richard Allen Rayles. He is survived by his four children, Whitney, Jason, James and Shannon, and three granddaughters, Hazel, Opal and Olive.

A memorial service will be held for Dr. Rayles at Denbo Funeral Home in English Indiana on January 29th from 2-4pm. Visitation will be held from 2-3pm, with a service beginning at 3pm.

Online condolences may be made at www.denbo-dillmanfuneralhomes.com

Denbo Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Dr. Ralph Rayles.