Randy. Randy Dean Raymond (or Sir Randolph if you like!) Got here April 09 1960, dropped (on his head probably) from the Mothership (his words!) and left on said Mothership July 19 2023.  Those who were lucky enough to have known him will know how difficult it was for him to leave those he loved, his girls; Denise his wife and partner through 21 years of thick and thin, his daughter Jayda who he called the light of his life and together they shared the title of “The Chosen One” and Athena, his granddaughter, another beautiful light that brightened his life. Together Randy and Denise shared 4 grandkids Kyle, Kurtis, Kaiden and Athena, 4 dogs Rocky, Ella, Gaia and his baby Bear. They shared a full and busy life. As a family they weathered some crazy storms and they held it together with only bubble gum and binder twine (old cowboy saying) at times and they would have gone the distance but cancer had other plans.

Randy was fourth in a family of six with older brothers Richard (Danielle), Rodney (Sandi), then me, Rhonda (Brian), followed by Robyn and Robert. As well as five step-siblings; Walter, Erin, Joel (Diane), Terri (Robin), and Bruce. We grew up rough and Randy learned early the old adage about the proverbial poop and the hill. I’m not sure if he possessed some innate knowledge or it was simply in his nature but he always carried himself with a quiet strength in the midst of the chaos at home.  He kept his own council, was not given to drama and chose not to fight every battle he ran up against, opting instead to fix the offending party with a “look” that was both a warning and a weapon.  As a kid he could be so frustrating, he would push your buttons then stand back and watch you freak out with a quiet smirk. I think this must have been what I was thinking about when one day while we were supposed to be napping, I found a rubber hose and beat him silly with it! Very satisfying! I got spanked for it so he was happy. He never held a grudge and he never blamed others for things that happened in his life.

While he could be annoyingly realistic about life, he had a love for the fantastical beasts such as dragons and gargoyles, mythical beings that are both secretive and powerful. I called him Sir Randolph as a joke but really I don’t think it too far out to believe if he had been here before it would have been during medieval times. He was a man totally at home with both his strengths and his faults (very few according to him) He possessed a level of integrity that is hard to find in people sometimes.

“He loved golf,” said Denise with an eyeroll. Apparently, he was a very skilled armchair athlete! I think it was because he was still a kid at heart and simply liked watching people hitting things with sticks.

He enjoyed many of the science and engineering shows on TV and had a keen interest in how things worked in the world around him.  And he liked birds! That surprised me!

As a family they were able to travel a bit and he spoke fondly about their trip to Mexico. The memories of that trip would light up his face when he was fighting for just one more day! He hated being cold and the beaches in Mexico were a perfect place to be.  Thanks to the generosity of his boss,  Daniel, they got to spend some of their time there on a yacht, living the high life! A perfect break in their busy lives! Denise will be taking him back there one day to just lie in the sun and simply ‘be’.

Anyone that knew Randy would also know how hard he worked. He spent the last 15 years working at Modern Granite & Marble. He loved his job. I’m not sure he had a title there unless it was Jack-of-all-trades. He never shied away from hard work and he worked like he loved, quietly without fanfare or need for recognition. I think he worked up until they had to kick him out to go home and rest. He didn’t share much but he always spoke highly of his boss and co-workers and some of his favorite customers. (I apologize, I don’t know any of your names) I know he appreciated all of you as much as you all seemed to have appreciated him. Thank you for that. It means a lot.

Thank you to all of his care staff at the Misericordia Unit 2 East. You people are truly angels! You kept him comfortable and did your best to keep the sneaky bugger in bed. He would wait until Denise and staff would leave and then try to get up and go for a smoke, a Costco hotdog, Nibs or his stash of money he had hidden in his truck! He just wanted to go!  Even in the end, while he fought hard for just little more time, all the while knowing staying was no longer an option (even the threat of fuzzy pink handcuffs couldn’t keep him down) he kept his sense of humour and could still deliver a punchline with such a straight face and get us cracking up. 

When you remember Randy, please honour him by remembering his family and maybe call to check in to see how they are doing. These are the times when we won’t always know what to say, when sadness and grief can stop us from reaching out but this is the beauty of life, to share the load that was once carried by someone we loved and call just to say “hello, we will not forget him.”

With great love comes great pain and that is okay. We honour you Randy. You are missed.