Obituary of Rufus Pridemore

Rufus Pridemore, age 84, of Campbell County, KY passed away on April 18, 2025. He was surrounded by handfuls of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren in a room filled with laughter and tears of remembrance.

Rufus was born and raised in Kayjay, KY to Willie and Matilda Pridemore. He was the older brother to Butch Pridemore. Upon moving to Northern Kentucky, he met Ruth Grafton and fell in love with her and her five children. He loved them each and raised them as his own.

Rufus served his community as a carpenter and a painter. When his working day was done, he enjoyed staying home raising up his grandchildren and loving his wife. An old western movie would be on the television while he shared stories. Rufus battled through dementia in his later years, though he always was a story teller and you had to weed out the validity of some of his tales.

Rufus leaves behind a full, proud legacy—including his daughters Donna Grafton and JoAnn Tinker; son Jeremy Long; and a whole collection of grandkids and great-grandkids: Mike, Amber, Megan, Daniel, Alisha, Rhonda, Crystal, Renee, Christina, Joe, Ashley, Carly, and many more nieces, nephews, and extended family members who adored him.Preceding his death are his loving wife, Ruth Grafton, parents; Willie and Matilda (Prichard) Pridemore, brother; Butch Pridemore, and daughter; Judy Wilkening.

A celebration of Rufus’ life will take place on April 24, 2025, at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home (11382 Madison Pike, Independence, KY 41051). Visitation begins at 3:00pm, with a service to follow at 4:00pm. Expect a few tears, a few laughs, and maybe even a story or two you’ve never heard before.

Memorial donations in Rufus’ name may be made to the Angelman Syndrome Foundation; a cause close to his heart.