Ricky Allen Gholston, 72 of Waleska, Georgia, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family, on June 9th at Northside Cherokee hospital in Canton, Georgia.



Rick was born in Tennessee, spent his early childhood in Whiting, Indiana, and graduated from Stockbridge High School in Stockbridge, Georgia. He was the only son of his parents Sam and Mona Lee Gholston.



He played football on scholarship at Gordon Military College and received his Associate Degree. He continued his education at Georgia State, was inducted into Sigma Nu fraternity, and earned both a BS in Education and Masters of Education. He later earned his Specialist in Education from University of Georgia in 1997.



In 1979, he married Beverly Baker Stroud on February 17 in Marietta, Georgia.

They were instant sweethearts when they met. Bev says he was her "knight in shining armor", unlocking her car door for her when she realized the keys were locked inside. He immediately inherited two daughters Juliet Ann Stroud and Christy Leigh Stroud, at the time seven and four years of age. He was a wonderful bonus father and in November 1980, Bev and Rick had their own daughter, Heidi Lynn who happily completed the family.



In 1986, the family moved to Orlando, Florida where they made many lifelong friends. They returned to Georgia in 1994.



Rick began his career as a physical education teacher at Shallowford Elementary in Dekalb County Georgia, then spent almost 10 years in the corporate world in Florida and Georgia before returning to education. Rick retired as an Assistant Principal from Druid Hills High School in 2012.



He found so much joy in cooking, hunt club Quality Deer Management (QDM), hunting, hiking, UGA football, singing, traveling and occasionally guitar playing. He was an avid researcher, always discovering. Rick loved hosting guests and gatherings, including a Sunday Morning Watch Party for Sugar Hill Church. He was known for his witty humor and lavish gourmet meals shared with friends and family. Rick was as fierce in his faith in Jesus Christ as he was in his love for his family and his University of Georgia Dawgs.



He will be greatly missed by his surviving relatives. (Beverly, his wife, of Waleska, GA, daughters Juliet Singletary of Suwanee, GA, Christy Stroud of Middletown, CA, and Heidi Gholston of Sugar Hill, GA, and grandchildren Steven Scheid, Kadence Singletary, and Elijah Singletary.)



In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Sugar Hill Church Student Ministry, in memory of Rick Gholston. (Sugar Hill Church, Attn: Finance Office, 5091 Nelson Brogdon Blvd, Sugar Hill, GA 30518)