Ralph/Dad/Grandpa fought a long, hard fight, but he is now resting peacefully with The Lord. Though we are heartbroken that he won’t be with us here, we, his family and friends, are grateful that he is no longer in pain and is reunited with loved ones he has missed for so long. We know that he has been received with open arms and has no more earthly worries or pain. Ralph is survived by his beloved wife and best friend, his faithful and caring companion, Carolyn; his loving children: son, Bill (Rosemarie) Thiele and daughter, Tracy (Whit) Seelke; as well as four treasured grandchildren, Steven (Chantal) Thiele, Jared Thiele, Grayson Seelke, and Kate Seelke. He was looking forward to the upcoming February birth of his first great-grandchildren, twin boys, who will be born to Steven and Chantal Thiele. Ralph is also survived by many dear friends—if you were a friend of Ralph’s, there is no doubt that you know how he felt about you and how much he treasured you. Ralph was preceded in death by his devoted mother, Caroline Kuehnle Thiele (d. 1996), as well as his father, William Thiele, who sadly died in 1955 when Ralph was just 14 years old. Caroline and William both immigrated to the United States from Germany as young adults and settled in Cleveland, Ohio, where they met and married. Ralph was their only child. Ralph attended Valley View Elementary School and John Marshall High School, in Cleveland. He started working very early in life, proudly having a paper route at age 10, as well as pumping gas and helping with other duties at a service station near his home starting at age 12. The gas station is likely where his love of cars was rooted. As a teen, he and his buddies became forever “car guys”—working on them and racing them. His passion for Cadillacs, specifically, began when he started at Central Cadillac as a parts department driver at the age of 18, and he quickly moved to being one of their youngest-ever salespeople. This began what would be a lifelong career in automotive sales. In 1960, at the age of 19, Ralph married his high school sweetheart, Kathy Eppley (now Atkins). Together they had two children, Bill (1962) and Tracy (1965). In 1971, the family moved to Miami, Florida, where Ralph continued his career with Cadillac at Williamson Cadillac. Ralph and Kathy parted ways in 1977. Since 1971, Ralph had been active in and committed to his home church, Christ The King Lutheran Church. Ralph was a Kiwanian for many, many years, and served as President of his local chapter. Ralph was also a very long-standing and passionate participant in the AACA (Antique Automobile Club of America) and The Gator V8ers. Ralph was always a top salesperson for Cadillac, receiving many top honors and awards during his nearly 30 years with the company. In 1986, Ralph struck out on his own in the car business. He opened Miami’s Best Auto Sales and continued his love of buying and selling cars—meeting new people as well as developing deep relationships and friendships with his customers. Ralph never met a stranger anywhere he went. Before Hurricane Andrew and a very serious spinal injury sidelined him a bit in 1992 at the age of 51, Ralph enjoyed playing on several teams in competitive softball leagues, running, working on and restoring cars, and basically living life at full speed. In 1993, Ralph’s good friend and customer, Clyde Hinson, introduced him to his beautiful daughter, Carolyn. It didn’t take long before Ralph asked for Carolyn’s hand in marriage. They were married on February 11, 1995, at Christ The King Lutheran Church in Pinecrest, Florida. Together, they traveled in their Blue Bird motorcoach to visit family and friends all over. They even took an extended road trip all the way from Miami up to Alaska—seeing everything and everyone possible in between. They enjoyed cheering on their grandchildren in every sport they played whenever they could, both in Florida and Georgia. They attended and participated in car shows all around the country, earning many awards and trophies for his beautiful automobiles. Ralph and Carolyn also attended John Marshall Class of 1959 and Runners Club reunions almost yearly in Cleveland. They enjoyed spending time at their home on Green Turtle Cay in the Bahamas whenever they could. During this time, Ralph and Carolyn also grew what would become his prized collection of classic cars, which he eventually and lovingly named “The Thiele Collection.” Cars were a passion shared in every way with his son, Bill, and deeply appreciated by the entire family and all of his many friends. In 2021, to be closer to their children and grandchildren, Ralph and Carolyn purchased a beautiful new home and chose a permanent spot for The Thiele Collection in The Villages, Florida. In December 2025, they made the permanent move to their home in The Villages, where a new building was completed to house his magnificent car collection. He was so pleased with it, and we are so happy he saw it to completion. Some fun and special things that always come to mind when we think of Ralph are: Classic cars and Lionel model trainsHis huge love for all of the many dogs in his life—mostly German Shepherds, but he loved all dogsHis incredible Donald Duck impersonation—he even fooled Cast Members at Disney World!

His love for desserts—especially carrot cake and key lime pie with plenty of whipped cream!His huge hat collection and his Ohio State sweatshirt!His great smile and happy eyes!Over many years, and especially recently, Ralph and Carolyn needed considerable help to manage day-to-day. Several special, loving, and caring people (who are now considered family) need to be mentioned and profusely thanked. Back in Miami, Maria Morales, David Braithwaite, John Wellons, Jerome “Jay” Lue Shue, Annie Campbell, and Cindy & Troy Pritchard never failed to care for Ralph and help him at any time, anywhere, with literally anything and everything. They continued to help and support Ralph, Carolyn, Bill, and Tracy in any way needed even after the move to Central Florida. During this most recent year at their new home in The Villages, God graciously provided and placed several more incredibly wonderful, loving, and caring people in Ralph and Carolyn’s lives. First and foremost is Lisseth “Liz” Krasznai. Liz has basically become their second daughter (and an adopted sister to Bill and Tracy). There aren’t enough words to describe her love for Ralph and Carolyn, and theirs for her. Her care for both of them has been nothing short of heroic and unselfish. We must also mention several other critical and super special people who have helped Ralph and Carolyn pretty much daily at their new home: Ellen Wilson (their amazing care manager, whom we would all be lost without), Dr. Lisa Tartaglia (affectionately known as "Dr. T"), Allen “Peanut” Wilson, Tim Blanch, and Liana Corrales. There was never a task too small or too monumental for these wonderful and caring humans to tackle for Ralph and Carolyn. We pray that all of them will continue to take great care of Carolyn for Ralph and for us whenever the rest of the family cannot be with her. Celebration of Life Service October 31, 2026, at 11:00 AM Christ The King Lutheran Church 11295 SW 57th Avenue, Pinecrest, FL 33156 Reception and lunch will follow immediately after the service on the church grounds. Dress Code: Smart Casual / Church Attire. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation in Ralph’s honor to Christ The King Lutheran Church, or to one of your favorite charitable organizations. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared online via Baldwin Brothers: https://websites.tukios.com/7757/obituaries/edit/16615592/user