Randy Matthews passed away peacefully with his loved ones by his side on August 11th, 2023, after a 9 year battle with Prostate Cancer, he was 68 years old. Randy was born in Quincy, Illinois on September 26th, 1954. Randy spent a lot of his upbringing in Fort Madison, Iowa, & spent most of his life living in various cities in Iowa including: West Point, Ames, Nevada, & Des Moines. Randy was not only an incredibly strong person in every way, he was also a strong believer in the power of staying postive no matter what happens. Losing his beloved Mother, Virginia Motley, to Cancer when he was 18, left Randy with some valueable lessons & wisdom about the importance of cherishing every moment, & staying strong through times of great hardship. He would often express to his loved ones, "Be Here Now." A loving reminder to always stay in the present moment, to embrace whatever comes your way, & release it when the time is right for you. He resonated with the teachings of Ram Dass, Buddhism, & Paganism. Randy had an incredible wit & sense of humor, always ready to surprise you with a hilarious remark or clever comment. He was highly intelligent, always eager to learn about a variety of subjects, he had a brilliant & open mind. Helping others who were less fortunate was extremely important to him, many believe it was his greatest passion. He chose many career paths in his life that focused on supporting others in crisis including: Crisis Hotline Representative in his College years at Iowa State University, and Shelter & Safety Coordinator at The Bridge Home in Ames, IA. He referred to his job at The Bridge Home, as his dream job since graduating college. Randy graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology & Speech Communicaton in 1985. Above all things Randy sincerely enjoyed, what brought him the most happiness was spending time with his daughter, Cherie, & his adorable Puggle dog, Wrigley. Randy & Cherie were extremely close, they video called regularly since Cherie lived out of state, & she would visit him yearly. Randy's dying wish was to have Cherie & Wrigley by his side. So in the last week of his life, Cherie & Randy's best friend Phil Dean drove Randy, his dog Wrigley & his belongings, on a 3 day road trip from his long time home in Nevada, Iowa to her house in Eugene, Oregon, so she could care for her Dad & fulfill his wish. She is honored to share that she never left his side & was proud to be with him in his moment of passing. In Cherie's childhood, Randy would take her to Children's Hospitals to lift the spirits of sick children, & to Renaissance Fairs to bring joy & juggling to excited fair attendees. Randy would sneak books under Cherie's pillow for her to find later as a surpise, & would sign them as "The Book Fairy." He also referred to Cherie's morning hair as "Hair Fairies." He had great interest in Fantasy & Sci Fi. Many people remember Randy as someone who had a presence that brought joy to anyone who was lucky enough to cross his path. A truly genuine, kind soul, with a heart of gold. Randy's favorite hobbies & pastimes included: camping, hanging out with friends, listening & attending live music, listening to Iowa Public Radio, juggling, frisbee golf, reading, watching his favorite TV shows & news channels. Randy was a proud member of the Hardcore Camper Corps since 1983, & made so many lasting & loving friendships through his camping community. Randy was loved deeply by so many people that Cherie his daughter was able to fundraise the costs for moving him halfway across the country, & fundraise the costs for his end of life services. Randy, Cherie, & Wrigley are forever grateful for the support & donations. He is survived by his daughter, Cherie Straw, his dog Wrigley, his sister-in-law Tamra Phipps, his brother-in-law Jack Phipps, his cousin Penny Roberts, & her children; Becky Koetters, Erik Goodapple, & Lindsey Dover, Joel & Azure DeeStraw & their children; Lily DeeStraw, Heavenly Grace Hess, Syree Morse, & Ocean Sky Hess, his many beloved friends including, but not limited to; Philip Dean & Sarah Macht, Garon & Gehan Wheeler, Mike & Judy Coverdale, Del & Jean Schmidt, Lance & Linda Coles