Randolph “Randy” Neil Buie passed away suddenly on December 6, 2025, just two weeks before he and his wife, Grace, would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.  Their long partnership was defined by deep commitment and the two daughters they raised together, Edith and Helen.

Randy grew up in Atikokan, the eldest child of Bernice Gandier and Douglas Buie, and big brother to Bruce, Ruby, and Duncan (d. 2018). He lost his father while attending university, and with his mother on her own, he took it upon himself to look after her. Family dinners became a cherished tradition for many years, and when Bernice later moved to a nursing home in Toronto, Randy visited her nearly every day.

Randy’s entrepreneurial spirit showed itself early. As a boy, he collected stamps and coins, famously waiting outside banks on payday to exchange cash for newly minted silver dollars—strictly rationed at two per customer. Locals best remember him for organizing teen dances at the Steelworkers Hall, where he loved to jive. He purchased his first home in Guelph with his father co signing, as Randy was not yet of legal age.

Randy studied mathematics and industrial engineering, earning a Bachelor of Science (with honours) in 1970 from the University of Guelph, followed by a Master of Applied Science in 1971 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1979 from the University of Toronto. He met Grace during his time at Guelph, and together they built a life in downtown Toronto. Over the years, they acquired numerous properties—mostly in the city—driven by a lifelong commitment to providing rental housing.

Though Randy rarely travelled, people from around the world came into his life as tenants. He formed lasting friendships with many of them and had a particular fondness for Japanese students, whom he supported with visas, taxes, airport rides, and steady guidance. To many, he became a “second father.” A coffee shop in Osaka even bears the name of one of his buildings, a tribute to the unique atmosphere he created.

Badminton was a beloved weekly family ritual, and Randy continued playing for decades, later also adding pickleball, right up until the pandemic. At one point, he and Grace were members of three clubs across Toronto.

For many years, the family owned a hobby farm where they gardened and raised animals. In his later years, Randy returned to gardening with renewed enthusiasm, tending the grounds of all his rental properties and growing everything from tomatoes and potatoes to peppers.

After Grace suffered a severe stroke in 2019 and became wheelchair bound, Randy became her primary caregiver, adapting their home and their routines to support her. His love was expressed through steady, practical devotion.

Randy believed in civic responsibility. He voted regularly, donated blood, and kept up with vaccinations. At the same time, he often chafed at city bylaws and rules that clashed with his fiercely independent nature.

He will be remembered for his persistence, hard work, thrift, generosity, and unwavering dedication to family. Randy is survived by his wife, Grace; his daughters Edith (Ted) and Helen (Sean); and his granddaughters, Olivia and Lillian. His brother Bruce (Anne) in Ottawa and sister Ruby (Michael) in Sudbury will miss him deeply.

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