Jeremiah "Jere" Randall

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ruby and Pink Randall, brother, Don Randall, sisters, Cynthia Randall, Emily McDowell and Harriett Gray.

Jere attended Benteen Elementary and Fulton High Schools in Atlanta. He also persevered and, over a period of 24 years, taking classes at night, received a degree in business administration from the Atlanta Division of the University of Georgia, now Georgia State University.

As a young boy, Jere dreamed of a military career and looked forward to becoming a pilot someday. He attained the rank of Cadet Colonel in the ROTC program at Fulton High but while working in construction during the summer after graduation, he fell two stories, breaking nine bones. A year later he was rejected for admission into the US Air Force because of his injuries.

He continued to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot and earned his Private License in 1961. He went on to earn his Commercial Pilot rating with Instruments and Multi-engine endorsements. He enjoyed instrument flying, especially to the islands in the Caribbean. Once he lost an engine after taking off from DeKalb Peachtree Airport but was able to nurse the ailing plane back to the airport before crash landing in the grass.

Jere served as a volunteer search and rescue pilot in the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the US Air Force where he attained the rank of First Lieutenant.

Having visited some two dozen countries, Jere loved traveling with his wife, playing golf, and backpacking on mountain trails. For many years he also officiated youth and high school baseball and football.

Jere believed in putting some of his blessings back into the community and volunteered in several organizations. He served on the Board of Directors of the Fulton County unit of the American Cancer Society. He was president of Columbia Elementary School PTA. He was president of the Atlanta Airport Optimist Club and Lieutenant Governor of Optimist International. He was a member of Dunwoody Baptist Church. He was president of the General Council and the Dogwood Chapter of the Telephone Pioneers of America. Jere also volunteered as an instructor for the AARP Safe Driving Program and was the coordinator for the Hall County AARP Tax Aide volunteers as well as a volunteer himself, assisting seniors and low income taxpayers with their income tax returns.

Jere joined Southern Bell as a mail boy in 1950, where he met his future bride, Jean Freeman, a long distance switchboard operator. They were married on July 20, 1951.

While at Southern Bell and later, BellSouth, after the breakup of the Bell System, Jere held various management positions in marketing and cost analysis before retiring in 1991.

Jere is survived by his wife of 64 years, Jean Freeman Randall, a 1950 graduate of Roosevelt High School, sons, Edward A. Randall of Lawrenceville, Jere T. Randall of Flowery Branch, Leslie T. Randall of Buford, daughters in law Mary Beth LaFleur Randall of Lawrenceville, Elizabeth Noble Randall of Buford, Lisa Randall of Flowery Branch, 8 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren, sister, Martha Randall Lawson of Decatur, and many nieces and nephews.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family on Tuesday, the 25th of August from one o’clock until two o’clock in the afternoon at H. M. Patterson & Son Arlington Chapel, 173 Allen Road, NE, Sandy Springs, GA 30328, 404-851-9900. Funeral services will be commencing at two o’clock in the Chapel with Reverend Jason Mincey officiating. Interment will follow at Arlington Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers that memorial contributions be made to the Eagle Ranch, PO Box 7200, Chestnut Mountain, GA 30502, http://eagleranch.org/give/memorial-gift/ or the American Cancer Society, PO Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123, http://www.cancer.org.