Randy Kieth Angell passed peacefully at his home in Alto, Michigan on the morning of December 4, 2025, with his wife, Patricia, and his stepson and devoted caregiver, James, at his side. Born on October 27, 1945 in Dayton, Ohio to Heber (“Hap”) and Virginia (Wine) Angell, Randy grew into a man marked by quiet determination, curiosity, and a steady love for the people who circled close to him.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia Ann Angell of Alto, his son, David Cameron Angell, and his granddaughter, Oakley Angell, of Charleston, South Carolina; his brother, Barry Angell, of Middleville, Ohio; his stepchildren, Catherine Ann (Michael) Thomas, James Oliver Alden, and Dea Marie Apsey; and the grandchildren who knew him not only as “grandpa Randy,” but as an adventurer, a storyteller, and the kind of man who made memories feel like treasures: Christopher Machala, Jillayne (Aaron) Helmholdt, Rae Rabideau (Jon Zamora), Lee Rabideau, Melanie (Chris) Liebert, Nathan (Kelly) Apsey, and several great-grandchildren.

Randy’s only child, David Angell, was born on June 10, 1982 to Randy and his first wife, Judith.

In 1994, Randy met Patricia (formerly Vandenberg), and what began as a connection quickly deepened into a partnership that was steady and joyful. They married on February 15, 1997 in Las Vegas — a choice perfectly suited to their shared sense of humor and adventure. They had planned to wed on Valentine’s Day, but when the chapel’s line wrapped around the building, they simply laughed and chose to try their luck the next day.

Over the years, they built a life shaped by journey, family, and companionship. Winters were spent at their second home in Naples, Florida, savoring the slower rhythm of warm days and familiar routines. Their life together was full, loving, and richly lived.

After graduating from Ohio University in 1967 with a degree in Business, Randy built a long career as a purchasing agent for General Motors, retiring in 2002. Away from work, he was happiest in motion—softball glove in hand, on a tennis court, biking, playing pickleball, or splitting wood for the fireplace on the porch where he often watched sports with a fire crackling warmly beside him. He was an avid reader and a true “jack of many trades." Randy was known for his fantastic sense of humor, and uncanny ability to name any bird overhead or mushroom underfoot. 

Randy loved nothing more than sharing the world with his grandchildren — both the vast world beyond home and the intimate one he shaped around them. He took them on countless adventures across the eastern United States and into Canada: wandering the halls of the White House, tracing the lines of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, breathing the high quiet of the Shenandoah Mountains and the Appalachian Trail, standing in the mist of Niagara Falls, and gazing out over Toronto while dining at the top of the CN Tower.

Just as fully, he filled their everyday lives with traditions to treasure — making pancakes, Happy Hour at 5 PM, Feather n' Finn ice cream, holiday celebrations that felt larger than life (especially Halloween and New Year’s Eve), fishing trips on the Thornapple River, wandering the banks of Coldwater Creek, "the monster game," and trips in the beloved “Party Van," or equally loved Winnebago. Evenings were often spent near the fire on the big back porch, laughing, dancing, sharing stories, and the kind of simple moments that become family lore.

Whether leading them on grand adventures or nurturing the small rituals of home, he gave his grandchildren a lifetime of experiences, memories, and landscapes — of both place and heart — to carry forward.

For more than two decades, Randy fought mouth cancer with remarkable courage and resilience. His journey began with his diagnosis and first surgery in Ann Arbor in 2003, and continued through five additional surgeries — the last of which took place in March 2024 and took 10 hours to complete. After that final surgery, Jim stepped into the role of caregiver with uncommon tenderness. His presence was steady, attentive, and selfless, giving Randy dignity, comfort, and faithful companionship through the most challenging chapter of his illness.

Randy’s absence will be felt deeply by the friends and family whose lives he brightened. A memorial service will be held at a later date to honor and celebrate his life.

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