Randy Lee Spicer

Randy Spicer was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 30, 1948, to Russell and Betsy Spicer. His brother Stan was a toddler at the time, and his best friend growing up. Randy loved his sister, Linda, who was born when he was 6 years old. He graduated from Rogers High School (go Mounties!) with the class of 1966. He played Defensive Tackle, and during his senior year, was Captain of the football team and led the team in tackles. He had recently attended their 50th class reunion, and was delighted to see so many of the classmates he had loved and missed throughout the years.

Randy entered the University of Arkansas as a Management major. His freshman year, he was part of the Razorbacks football team as a walk-on Nose Guard. Randy and his good friend, Randall Backus, pledged Sigma Pi Fraternity together and were roommates.

At the beginning of his sophomore year, Brant Croxdale was the matchmaker for his blind date with Diane Crist. Randy and Diane were crazy about each other – marrying the second finals were over on May 31 of 1968.

The following year, they welcomed their son, Brad, while living in a 10x40 mobile home in Fayetteville. Randy attended school full-time while working as an Asbell Elementary PE teacher and driving a school bus. He also worked construction jobs during the summers between semesters.

During the height of the Vietnam War, Randy enrolled in, and participated in, ROTC at the U of A for the next 3 years. He was commissioned in 1971. Next, Randy attended graduate school where he received his MBA in 1972. He trained at Fort Knox Armor Division in Kentucky and, because the war was winding down, was assigned to the Army Reserves. He served in the Reserves until 1981, when he was honorably discharged as a Captain.

Shortly after, Randy was hired by Prudential Insurance Company. He moved his family to Houston, TX, Tulsa, OK (where they welcomed their daughter, Carrie), Garland, TX, Chatham, NJ, and Plano, TX while working in the group insurance field. He worked with them for a total of 23 years. Randy was then hired by Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield in Little Rock, AR, where he spent the next 10 years as the President and CEO of their subsidiary, First Pyramid Life. Randy and Diane then resided in Southlake, TX, with him working for United Health Care. When he passed, he was working for the National Restaurant Association as their VP of Health Insurance Services. After multiple years of hard work, Randy had very recently completed a major project creating a joint venture and trust between the NRA and United Health Care, with the goal to provide affordable health insurance for restaurant employees.

Randy’s friend, Don Fox, (President and CEO of Firehouse Subs) stated: “Randy was an incredible gentleman; one of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever known…He was an incredible family man, and his self-deprecating humor was as endearing as it was funny. He will be missed by everyone he touched.”

Randy and Diane were married for 48 years. Their son, Brad, married to Lisa, is a CPA with General Electric, serving as a Tax Director. They have 3 children; Ben (17), Nick (16), and Zoe (about to turn 12). Their daughter, Carrie, is married to Kevin Kanouff, is devoted to her church and being a busy stay-at-home mom to Logan (11) and Lola (7).

Randy truly was a force of nature. He was brilliant, optimistic, and tireless. He knew only how to be fully committed. He was a tremendous story teller, dynamic, and funny, and occasionally impatient and cranky. Randy was independent, strongly driven, sweet, loving, kind, and a sharp dresser that often smelled of fresh soap. Randy was humble and loved the Lord. He was a wonderful husband and father. He supported, encouraged, (and survived!) Diane’s long college career to earn her CPA. Randy seemed to know everything about everything, and if he didn’t, he would spend hours researching the topic until he did. He could repair anything…self-taught in the early years with the goal of saving money…later, driven by the pure sense of accomplishment.

Randy loved his family very much, and had a soft heart for animals (specifically, his faithful rescue dog, Maddie), and was looking forward to future fun travel adventures with Diane. He had recently single-handedly moved his and Diane’s entire household of furniture from Southlake, TX to Rogers, AR only in the way Randy knew how…renting U-hauls, using straps and dollies, and driving the 6 hour long drive repeatedly.

It cannot be expressed how much his family loved him and will miss him. He was the cornerstone of all our lives.