Every man has his story, and this is a glimpse at Randy's.

It's not the story of just any man, some guy or just anyone. It's the story of someone I loved dearly. It's the story of a brother, an uncle, a husband and a friend.

Randy passed away on Sunday June 29th, 2025 and the world cracked open. Hopes, dreams, plans, goals all just fell to the floor and shattered into a million little pieces.

For those of you that didn't know Randy, he was an amazing man - but not in that Super Man flying around in a cape kind of way. No, Randy has a strength to him that was in his chosen words, his actions, his resolve. He saved you without you knowing, he found you before you even realized you were lost. He was that kind of guy.

Randy was a fighter from the time he was little, to the day he died. He fought in a ring, he fought for his family and he fought for his health.

As most of you know, Randy had almost a lifetime of health issues. His health problems started in his 20s and continued until he passed away. Our life together and his life, consisted of searching - one visit after another to find what was going on with him. He would be diagnosed with one thing, then it would be disproved, then diagnosed with another and soon enough that diagnosis would get chucked in the trash.

He was an enigma to more than a few doctors. Tests and tests and test, blood work and countless office visits and eventually diagnosis were made. But it wasn't that straight forward. It was trying to find the right combination that would help one thing without harming another. Trying to find a med he could take, tolerate or even just get some sort of help from. The only thing more stubborn that Randy was his body! But that man kept going, kept fighting, kept trying.

Eventually things just got so hard that Randy wasn't able to work anymore. He started the process of applying for disability. For anyone who's not been down that road - it is not an easy road. I'm pretty sure it's not a road at all. It's a dehumanizing march across a field of pits and mines, rabid wolves and soul crushing debt. It is not the path Randy ever wanted to walk. Randy had the work ethic from another time, he would have worked till he was a little old man if the cards had let him.

But, yes - sadly life had other plans. We started this fundraiser last year to try to raise even just a little bit of funds to help get him through life, to help him get to disability without it completely killing him and to provide him with the basic essentials he needed to just be.

When he passed away, I changed the fundraiser and it became a memorial fundraiser. I didn't reset the clock, the amount donated or the goal because I wanted to make sure to be as transparent as possible.

Prior to Randy passing, we had raised around $4400 which he used to get him by, get medical supplies and help with medical bills.

Now we are raising money to help with the memorial, any final expenses, outstanding costs that had been left behind and legal fees.

It's not the stuff I wish we were paying for. I would give anything to still have him here, to be raising money for adaptive devices, life items, and whatever else, but that's just not how it played out.

I know a lot of people have supported Randy throughout the years, emotionally or with a donation on the earlier campaign and it is all appreciated.

There is no silver lining to this, but there is the warmth of the stories I hear and the love you all held for him. I appreciate each and every one of you for all your help. Thank you.