Above all else, he loved the Lord.
Ricky Donald Tedford passed away peacefully at his home in Sweet Lips, Tennessee, on June 4, 2026, after courageously battling a long illness. He was 71 years old.
Ricky was born on June 3, 1955, in Pekin, Illinois, to Jeff Tedford Jr. and Jean Willis Tedford. While still a baby, he moved with his parents back to the family land in Sweet Lips, Tennessee — the land that would forever hold a special place in his heart. From the time he was just a small boy picking cotton into a pillowcase in the fields, he learned the value of hard work, perseverance, and caring for what God had entrusted to him.
On July 1, 1974, he married the love of his life, Beverly Jean Harber. Together they built a life rooted in faith, family, and devotion. Though they spent a little over a year living in Little Rock, Arkansas, during the 1980s, home eventually called them back to Sweet Lips and the land Ricky loved so dearly.
Ricky worked factory jobs for a short time before becoming a life insurance salesman, a career that allowed him to connect with and serve people from all walks of life. But his true calling was always preaching the Gospel. He began his ministry at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church and then became the founding pastor of Old Path Baptist Church in Cabo, Tennessee. In his later years, he faithfully pastored Sweet Lips Baptist Church, preaching his final formal sermon in December 2024.
Even after stepping away from the pulpit, Ricky never stopped preaching. Whether sitting in his home, talking with friends, or comforting family members, he continued sharing the goodness of God and the hope of salvation until he crossed over into Paradise. Preaching was never simply a job to him — it was the ultimate calling of his life. More than anything, he cared about the souls of others and wanted as many people as possible to know Jesus and make Heaven their eternal home.
Though a little mischievous in his younger years, Ricky later became known for being personable, loyal, and faithful to his word. He loved sitting and talking about old memories with friends and family, often laughing hardest at silly stories from years gone by. In his final years, as his health allowed, he treasured making new memories just as much as revisiting old ones.
He also deeply loved the land he grew up on. He raised cattle and gardened faithfully until his health no longer allowed him to do so. Many summers, people would come from several counties over looking for the sweet watermelons he became known for growing — his favorite fruit and one of the simple joys he delighted in sharing with others. Ricky understood sowing and reaping not only as a gardener, but as a man of faith. He spent his life planting seeds — in the ground, in his community, and in the hearts of those he loved — trusting God for the harvest.
Those closest to him will remember a man whose Bible was worn, marked, and tear-stained from years of study and seeking the Lord. They will remember dirt on his boots from working the farm and the care he took in preparing himself to stand before a congregation and preach the Gospel. They will remember the quiet acts of kindness that often went unseen — like bringing breakfast to sick neighbors while praying faithfully for them.
His children knew him as a father who would sacrifice anything he had to provide for them, comfort them, guide them, and simply be there whenever they needed him. His grandchildren adored his gentle and caring nature. Ricky often spoke lovingly of the dear family members and friends who had gone on before him, and he looked forward with unwavering faith to the day he would see them again in Heaven.
Perhaps one of Ricky’s greatest legacies is the faith in Jesus Christ that he passed on to his children and grandchildren. His life was a testimony that faith was not meant only for Sundays or church pews, but for everyday living — in kindness, in sacrifice, and in loving others well.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Jeff Tedford Jr. and Jean Willis Tedford.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Beverly Jean Tedford; his children, Tiffany Tedford Young (Zak) and Seth Thomas Tedford (Katie); his six grandchildren, Caitlin, Cooper, Walker, Cullen, RaeLynn, and Lawson; and his sister, Patty Cupples (Mark), along with many extended family members, church family, friends, and countless lives touched through his ministry.
Though he will be deeply missed here, his family rejoices knowing the man who spent his life preaching about Heaven has finally gone home.
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
Funeral services will be 2:00 PM Saturday, June 6, 2026 at Sweet Lips Baptist Church with burial to follow in Sweet Lips Cemetery.
The family will received friends at the church on Saturday from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM.
