Randy attended Hillcrest High School and graduated from Schreiner Military Academy, North Texas State University and South Texas School of Law. A Dallas resident since 1956 and a hardworking and relentless attorney for nearly 50 years, Randy was known for his larger-than-life personality and his devotion to his family and friends. Randy was preceded in death by his younger sister Marsha, his father Jack,and his beloved mother, Laura Lidji Kresh.
Randy was the firstborn child of Jack Shafer, an American OSS officer from West Virginia, and Laura Lidji, from Cairo, Egypt. As a child, Randy lived in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Egypt before moving to Dallas where his young sister was treated for, and eventually succumbed to, leukemia.
Randy was a storyteller and his earliest memories were as entertaining as they were exotic: his West Virginia pony who had a penchant for biting him, gifted by his grandfather Miletis Shafer; riding camels by the Pyramids with his Uncle Henri Lidji; haphazardly riding a tricycle through his family’s Cairo department store, his grandfather Isaac Lidji laughing at every toppled mannequin; visiting his Great Uncle Silvio Gattegno’s Arabian horses; having tea and crumpets with his mother on the Nile; being chauffeured to Maadi American school by his driver Magrabi; and dodging grapefruits hurled at him by his grandmother, Palomba Gattegno.
Other childhood memories were more somber and formative: leaving behind his adoring grandparents in West Virginia; losing his sister and witnessing his mother’s heartbreak; acclimating to new towns and schools in a span of ten years; and repatriating from a major international city to Texas in the 1950s. Randy grew up quickly, becoming the man of the house and protector of his mother and younger brothers, Steve and Scott. But even in these difficult circumstances, Randy always had a lust for life, great sense of humor and a positive disposition. Randy's stories from this era of his life included evidence of a free range childhood with his best friend, Riley Logue, and too many stories of hell raising and mischief to share here.
Randy attended Hillcrest High School, but graduated from Schreiner Military Academy. To remain close to his mother and brothers, he matriculated to North Texas State University where he became a member of Sigma Nu fraternity and majored in political science and minored in geology. He then moved to Houston to attend South Texas College of Law where he was an Honor Court Clerk and played intramural football until he graduated in 1974.
Upon passing the bar exam, he quickly discovered the traditional law firm path interfered with his higher calling, or as he would say "my need for speed". In 1978, he went to driving school in Sonoma, CA, to learn how to race formula cars and became a member of the Sports Car Club of America. He partnered in a small commercial litigation firm --- Condo, Shafer, Poynor, Ramsey & Beggs — to enable the flexibility to compete in races across the country. Following the births of his daughters, Allison Brooke and Meredith Lane, he named his racing team BrookeLane MotorSports and loved seeing them at the starting line with their mom, Terry Shafer, waving and giving him “thumbs up".
In addition to racing, Randy competed in sailing regattas locally and in the Caribbean and enjoyed taking friends on his sailboat, also named BrookeLane, on Lake Texoma. When he could no longer fit into a formula car cockpit, he took up motorcycles and earned his private pilot’s license with instrument rating. His nervous family and friends repeatedly questioned the utility of solo flight joy rides in small prop planes. At which point, he sought out his excuse — saltwater bay fishing for redfish in Rockport, TX. In his empty nesting years, he spent countless happy hours fishing and smoking cigars on Aransas Bay.
Randy’s long career as a solo practitioner ranged from commercial litigation, real estate, contracts, RICO and more. Randy was a hard and diligent worker who, as far as his family knows (and the story goes) ,never lost a case. Clients, attorneys and judges who worked with Randy found him to be both gregarious and brash. (Although those who opposed him saw only the latter.) Many of his clients became dear, lifelong friends who spent holidays, birthdays and vacations together with their families.
Randy was more than the things he did. All who knew him well remember him for his warm, larger than life personality and unique brand of humor. He was a great friend and the life of the party. He developed different schtick for different friends, had a weakness for puns and loved to be provocative — especially by way of embarrassing his daughters. His daughters, of course, were the loves of his life and if you knew Randy, you knew all about Allison and Meredith and their accomplishments; most significantly their children, his beloved grandchildren. Randy spent many a weekend in the past few years cheering the kids on at dance rehearsals and recitals and on the sidelines at baseball, basketball, softball, soccer and volleyball games.
Randy was a one-of-a-kind character, and he will be profoundly missed by those he leaves behind, especially his daughters, Allison Egner and Meredith Himelfarb; their spouses (and his friends) David and Matthew; his grandchildren Luke Randall and Lillian (Lily) Claire Egner, and Alexandra (Allie) Laura Himelfarb and Beatrix (Bea) Anne Himelfarb; his younger brothers Steven and Scott Shafer; his sisters-in-law Jana and Sally; his wonderful nieces and nephews and their children; his ex-wife and friend, Terry Wilson Shafer; his companion, Cindy White; and many dear friends who became like family.
Memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, the family would ask that you enjoy a drink, a cigar and live life to its fullest and with no regrets like Randy did. If you would like to send a memorial gift in Randy's honor, Children's Health in Dallas, was near and dear to his heart. Children's helped treat his granddaughter "Beazie" when she was ill, and employed David, bringing Allison's family back to Dallas after many years away.
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