William "Randy" Durand Eppler

Randy was born William Durand Eppler on July 18, 1953, to Debora Nye Eppler and Jerome Cannon Eppler, in Summit, New Jersey, the second of five siblings. He is survived by his older brother Steven, sisters Margaret and Elizabeth, and his younger brother Edward. Randy grew up in suburban New Jersey, spending winters skiing and ice skating and summers at camps in Maine, where he certified as a Junior Maine Guide and at home where he developed a lifelong passion of ruining a nice walk by playing golf.

The music and free-wheeling spirit of the 1960s were his companions, inspiring him to think long and hard about the paths he could take through the world. He attended Middlebury College in Vermont where he majored in religion and geography. At Middlebury he connected with a fellow Madison High School graduate, Jean Scandlyn. They married in 1976 and raised two sons, Andrew and Alex.

Randy’s path in life took a number of twists and turns. Starting with vague plans to enter the ministry, a summer working as a roughneck on an oil rig in Wyoming led to a decades-long career in the mining industry. In 1975 Randy and Jean moved to Golden, Colorado, their first trip to the Centennial State, where he pursued a Masters in Mineral Economics, writing a thesis on solar energy. His career took them from New York, to San Francisco, Jakarta, Indonesia, back to New York, and finally, to Denver, Colorado, where they lived for 29 years. He was active in the Society of Mineral Engineers, co-authoring a book on project finance. In his work for Chemical Bank, he developed strong business relationships leading to a position in corporate development for Newmont Corporation, followed by 15 years as a consultant to mining companies and decades of service as a director for Golden Minerals and Vista Gold.

Randy’s love for and understanding of the earth, especially rocks, brought him to all corners of the earth. One must go where the metals are, after all, and he traveled frequently to sites in Africa, Central and Southeast Asia, Australia, and South America. He delighted in bringing his family along to experience the world with him. He enjoyed spending time in the quiet and solitude of nature, whether camping, hiking, or canoeing. He loved San Francisco and walked from his house on Downey Street to Ocean Beach daily, in sunshine or fog or wind, to arrive at the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean.

Randy was a loving and devoted father, who spent his days working hard to ensure that his family had every opportunity to follow their dreams and their passions. He was an avid and voracious learner, powering through nonfiction tomes at a furious pace, always looking to learn more about the world, while still finding time to complete the New York Times crossword puzzle every day. There were few things that he enjoyed more than sharing his passion for food, being surrounded by his family and cooking a big meal.

Randy’s was a leader in the many communities in which he spent his life; his openness to different people, places and cultures drew people to him. His passing will be deeply felt by the many people who were fortunate enough to know him. His warmth, kindness, and open heart will be deeply missed, though his spirit lives on in all who crossed his path.

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