Tom Radley of Redmond, WA, spread his passionate love of life and the outdoors to everyone around him.

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Whether it was a 400-mile bike tour, a hike, a camping or a ski trip, you were on an adventure of a lifetime with “T.”  He would draw you in with his hearty smile and would encourage you along with endless enthusiasm.  

 

Mr. Radley died suddenly in Kirkland on December 10 from an aggressive cancer, surrounded by his beloved family.

 

Tom was born in Syracuse, New York, on April 20, 1943.  His parents were Kathleen Mary Cronin and Ross Alfred Radley. His father died when he was 8 and the family struggled financially with Tom working various jobs to help out.  He earned a scholarship to Alfred University in New York and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in industrial ceramics in 1965.  

 

He fell in love with Washington during sales trips to the northwest. He founded Western Industrial Ceramics in Redmond in 1971, growing the company from two to 100 employees when he sold it and retired in 1993. 

 

Tom took his wife of 50 years, Jan Heinz, on a canoe trip through the Washington Park Arboretum on their first date. They married in 1970 and became active members in the Redmond community. Families and friends gathered at their Stevens Pass cabin for legendary ski weekends and late-night sledding.

 

In retirement Mr. Radley became a mentor to his children and their friends, never missing an athletic activity. He also discovered his true calling as a bicycle tour leader.  For 25 years, Tom led bicycle trips for hundreds of participants.  He was the founder of RedSpoke, the 300-mile recreational ride between Redmond and Spokane, that helped the Redmond Rotary earn hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity during its 31-year history. 

 

Tom always said any experience is richer on a bike. Mr. Radley is survived by his wife, Jan Radley, three siblings, Nancy Bamann, Ross Radley and Mary Radley, three children, Shannon, Shaun, and Kevin, and six grandchildren.