Ralph "Porky" Thomsen, age 77, of Richland, Washington, beloved father, husband, brother, and community leader, passed away peacefully on January 15th, 2022. Porky was born September 25th, 1944, in Twin Falls, Idaho and raised in Warden, Washington where he graduated in 1962 at Warden High School. Porky continued his education at Washington State University and graduated in 1966 with a double major reflecting his life's passions: Theatre Arts and Agricultural Economics. His pursuits of these passions earned Porky honors from regional and national theatre arts organizations and the farming community. T&R Farms (owned by Porky, his twin sister Peewee, and her late husband Ron) was inducted into the Pasco Chamber of Commerce's 2010 Agriculture Hall of Fame. They were one of the first to pioneer new water withdrawals in the region and to implement multiple new irrigation and energy saving technologies. Porky earned numerous awards in his more than 50 years of acting and philanthropy for the arts. To name a few: The Pasco School District Art Competition's Robert Kennedy Arts in Education Award and Governor's Art Award, and the 2014 Heart for the Arts Award from the Academy of Children's Theatre. One of his proudest moments was being nominated for a Cable Ace Award for his remarkable one-man show, S.A. Flyin. He took great joy in sharing, "I didn't win the Cable Ace Award. [stage pause] Oh, well, I lost to Danny Glover!" Not bad, he figured. The show's tour took him to 39 states and Canada. Another one-man show of his, Bully, took him to 29 states as Teddy Roosevelt. Porky enjoyed meeting and working with some of the industry's greats like Leonard Nimoy in a 1968 theatre production of Oliver! Porky first felt the theatre's ability to draw you in as a high school student. For the rest of his life, he continued to encourage and promote the theatre in his community. Speaking from his extensive experience as a professional theatre actor and philanthropist for the Columbia Basin and the 5th Avenue Theatre's Adventure Musical Theatre, he once stated, "Kids in this area (Tri-Cities) are just like kids anywhere. They have all the talent in the world; they just need to have access to the programs that will inspire them and allow them to recognize their own abilities." Porky had a natural stage presence and was always ready with a humorous anecdote of backstage exploits or other story, a quick wit, and always with that signature jovial laugh to follow. Porky is also known for his community work and outreach in the region. He was often asked to MC or announce for local events and enjoyed a 20-year relationship with Toyota of Tri-Cities. Friends and family always loved seeing his jolly face on the Zamboni at the Toyota Center. Porky's other great love was sharing his life with his wife, Terri, and their wonderful journeys together. They enjoyed traveling, attending theatre, going to the Tony Awards, and working to bring theatre to the region for children to experience. Porky is survived by his wife, Terri Thomsen; his son, James Thomsen (Beth); his stepson, Mark Stephenson (Cinnamon); his sister, Sharon Thomsen; his sister, Rella (Peewee) Reimann; and his nephew, Reid Reimann and Reid's daughter, Anastasia. He was preceded in death by his parents Hank and Patty Thomsen. A Celebration of Porky's Life will be held at the Red Lion Hotel, 1101 North Columbia Center Boulevard, Kennewick, Washington, on Saturday, January 22 from 2:00 p.m-4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the 5th Avenue Theatre in support of the Adventure Musical Theatre (AMT) program. Please send donations to the 5th Avenue Theatre, c/o AMT Donations - 1308 5th Avenue; Seattle, Washington 98101. WITH THE RECENT RISE OF COVID CASES IT IS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED ATTENDEES WEAR A MASK. For online condolences please visit www.Hillcrestfunerals.com