Obituaries

Rashad Lamar Petty, 45, passed into his new life on October 18, 2024 at the University of Toledo Medical Center. Rashad was born on February 14, 1979, and was the second son of Adria Allen and Dwight Petty Sr.

Rashad was diagnosed with autism when he was three years old. His mother ensured that Rashad had the best education possible by hand selecting the schools that had programming to support his education. Rashad attended Ryder, Oakdale, and Start High School, and graduated from Libbey High School in 2001. His favorite subject was Geography and he had an affinity for all things relating to maps. He was an excellent student and well loved by his teachers. Upon graduating, Rashad was employed at Bittersweet Farms until his passing. During his time there he did many jobs. He was a groundskeeper, tried animal husbandry, and worked with wood. Rashad had many friends, but his special friends were Melanie and Patty P. Rashad was known as a bit of a ladies’ man, always taking time to kiss women on the hand.

His love for Geography extended into his adventures with his mom. Together they took lots of road trips and went to Niagara Falls, Toronto, Atlanta, Las Vegas, California and their yearly trips to Kings Island and Cedar Point. Rashad not only took road trips but would also venture out of the house to explore around the city, at a very young age. He would often be found walking miles away from home until a family friend, or his mom would retrieve him and bring him back home. Rashad was also an active swimmer, you could find him and his mom at local hotels, the beach or Toledo City pools swimming for hours on end. Swimming made him happy.

Rashad was baptized at St. Paul’s AME Zion at the age of 12. He was an avid church attender, and he said his prayers regularly.

Rashad was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother, Julia Allen, maternal grandfather, Whitley Allen, his paternal grandmother Alice Mays, his uncles’ Kenneth Allen and Michael Smith, and aunt Pamela Gipp. He is survived by his mother, Adria Allen, father Dwight Petty Sr., his brother Dwight Petty Jr., sisters, Taylor and Sydney Petty, nephew Dwight Petty III, nieces Savannah and Kameron Petty, and a host of cousins and special friends.