The late Raymond P. Gamble, a Hopkinsville funeral director and community leader, has been recognized with an honorary street name.
During a ceremony Thursday attended by city officials, family members and friends, the designation of “Honorary Raymond P. Gamble Way” was added to the Liberty Street sign post in downtown Hopkinsville.
Gamble Funeral Home, which Gamble opened in 1987, is located on Liberty Street.
A Christian County native, Gamble was a 1972 graduate of the Kentucky School of Mortuary Science in Louisville. He was a licensed funeral director in Kentucky and Tennessee and provided embalming services for funeral homes in Hopkinsville and other area communities before establishing his own business.
“Surrounded by numerous family members, friends, and local officials, we celebrated the life and legacy of Mr. Gamble and the impact he made on generations of Hopkinsville residents,” city officials wrote in a Facebook post. “His deep commitment to uplifting others, his enduring spirit of service, and his dedication to this community made him a pillar of strength and inspiration.”
Gamble was the recipient of several awards during his lifetime, including the George S. Dooley Humanitarian Award, the High Capacity Minority Business Award, and the James Quarles Minority Business of the Year Award. He died on Nov. 20, 2019, at age 68.
