Randall "Randy" L. RAGSDALE
February 20, 1955 ~ March 26, 2010
Mr. Randall L. "Randy" Ragsdale went home to be with the Lord on Friday, March 26, 2010, after a short battle with cancer. Randy was born Feb. 20, 1955, in Bonne Terre and is the son of Darrel Ragsdale and the late Dorothy (Hill) Ragsdale.
Randy was a long-time active member of Farmington First Free Will Baptist Church, serving as the Music Director/Coordinator for over 20 years. Coach Ragsdale was a Math Teacher at Farmington High School and former Girl's Basketball Coach and 7th Grade Football Coach. He was President of the Farmington Park Board; former Commissioner for the Church Softball League, and former Teacher/Coach at the Farmington Christian Academy.
Survivors Include: his wife of 32 years, Linda (Hufford) Ragsdale, of Farmington. One daughter, Christy (Mrs. Dan) Hempen, of High Ridge, MO; his father, Darrel Ragsdale, of Farmington (currently residing in the Cape Girardeau Veterans Home); 3 Brothers: Ken (& Sheila) Ragsdale, of Festus; Bill (& Rosemary) Ragsdale, of Farmington; Rick (& Sherry) Ragsdale, of Farmington. his Father-In-Law & Mother-In-Law: John and Jessie Hufford, of Farmington. 2 Sisters-In-Law: Sandy (Mrs. Larry) Griffon, of Farmington and Pam McGrael, of Park Hills. 1 Granddaughter: Trinity Hempen, of High Ridge. Several Aunts; Uncles; many Nieces; Nephews; and Cousins. Also, many former and current students.
Visitation: Monday, 4-9 p.m. at Farmington First Free Will Baptist Church. Visitation resumes Tuesday at 6:30 a.m. until funeral time Tuesday, 1:00 p.m., March 30, 2010, with Rev. Roger Hogan officiating. Note: ALL VISITATION (Both Mon. & Tue.) @ CHURCH.
Interment follows at Three Rivers Cemetery, Ste. Genevieve County. Serving as Pallbearers: Steve Palmer, Kenny Graham, Roger Petrie, Bud Norman, Ray Hines and Larry Lacey.
Memorials to: * Farmington First Free Will Baptist Church; * The American Diabetes Association &/or * Step Up for Cancer fund.
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Linda and Christy…. We are so so sorry to hear of Randy's passing…It was our honor to have known him..Our thoughts and prayers are with you both..I think to sum it up is very easy.. An AMAZING man now and AMAZING angel….
We are so sorry to hear of Randy's passing. Your family is in our prayers.
What a valiant fighter who daily put on the armor of God and trusted in his hope in Christ in which he is now abiding. Looking forward to seeing him again one day!
This is Jamie Faries, I wanted to express my sympathy for the Ragsdale family. My mother and father Jim and Carol Faries also wanted to share their sympathy as well. Randy was a great man, a great Godly man at that. I am honored to say I attended church with him and was one of his many students in highschool that he loved oh so much. He will be greatly missed by everyone. The Faries' family is so sorry for your loss of such a wonderful man. I know he is with us all though right now!!!
My heart goes out to Randy's Family. He was such a wonderful person when we were in school. He was my daughters teacher and she thought he was so great. He will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him. Now you can sing with the angels.
Linda and family, you have my deepest sympathy. Our prayers are with you. Katie and Larry Smallen
Christy and Family – You are all in my thoughts and prayers. Coach Ragsdale was an amazing person. He will truly be missed by the many people whom he changed the lives of in more ways than one. He is in Heaven looking down on you and will be by your side always! He showed me the value of teamwork, pride, and most importantly compassion for others. I will forever be grateful for the honor of knowing such a gift from God.
May God be with you.
Linda, I was so startled to see Josh Bailey's post about Randy. I am so sorry for your loss. I remember your dating days back in school. I even remember a family dog–you wanted to name him Randy but your sisters wouldn't let you! (I think you ended up naming it Cleo)…Please know that my heart and my prayers are with you. I have late classes both days so don't know if I can attend the services, but you will be very much on my mind, as will your daughter. I pray you will be comforted and sustained by the spirit of the Lord. I know that life is eternal and you and Randy will one day be reunited. God bless you all. Melanie
Linda & Family, I was sorry to hear of Randy's passing. He was a great person and I enjoyed playing softball with him as well as just sitting and talking. Your family is in our prayers during this time of sorrow.
Dear Linda and family, Our thoughts & prayers are with you through this difficult time. Randy was such a special teacher and coach, there will never be another to take his place. He meant so much to my kids these last 5 years and he will be greatly missed by all.
Christy and Linda we are so sorry to hear about your loss. May you always remember the good times and treasure the moments you had. Our prayers go out with you and your family.. It was an honor to know Coach Ragsdale.
Randy was my classmate since 1967, I am very pleased of all his accomplishments he was a fine fine man a true example to us all, I am very proud to have know him and to have had him for a classmate from Jr. High through graduation. My deepest sympathies to the family and his many friends & students. God Bless
Linda, I'm so sorry for your loss.. Randy was so very special to Brylee as her Math Teacher. You are in our prayers.
Linda & family, So many years growing up together on Hickory Street, highschool and commuting to MAC and then both married those "boys" from the class of 73. Jay & I are so sorry about Randy's passing. Our prayers and thoughts are with you and will continue to be with you and your family.
Please accept our sincerest condolences. I remember Randy as being one of the nicest guys in school, and by reading about him, he has accomplished so much, a very admirable man. Please take care. Jim and Lois(Key)Johnson
Linda, Christy and family, We have such great memories of Randy from 1982 when we first visited Farmington Church. He ALWAYS had a big smile on his face and was such a joy to be around, always so positive and helpful. His singing was a wonderful blessing to us. Although sad that he is gone, we rejoice to know that he is with Christ, rejoicing and pain-free, and receiving his well-earned heavenly reward. Our prayers are with your family for God's comfort and strength in the days ahead. Judy and Ken
Ragsdale Family, I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am for your lose, Randy was a GREAT man. I am so happy I got the honor of knowing him and I will cherish my memories of him as a friend and teacher. Love you all.
Please accept our deepest condolences. I remember Randy as being a very neat/ nice guy. In reading about him, he has accomplished so much, and became a pillar of the Farmington community. The Kevin Bailey Family
Linda and Family: I am so sorry for your loss. Your loss is Heaven's gain. Due to his faith, you do know where he is and that you will see him again. As I grow older, I find myself think back in time to our youth and the fun we had. I remember when Randy got a new pair of baseball shoes…I had none and he gave me his old shoes. I felt so proud! Randy was a couple years older than me and took an interest in me….yes, that's how Randy was and his faith and love for man is why he is in Heaven today. Our prayers are with you in your time of grieving. Your are much loved.
I know of no other person so openly beloved by such a diverse group of people from all ages and walks of life. Randy truly showed us how to live a victorious Christian life with love, grace, humor and humility in a world full of unkind and dark things. How grateful I am to have had his great influence in my life! I will always cherish the wonderful memories of my teacher, coach, friend, and brother in Christ.
You the family have our deepest and sincere sympathy. The joy of knowing is he "Home" in Heaven and you all will meeting again will bring you peace in the coming days I'm sure. You will be in our thoughts and prayers as you begin this new journey of life.
No one can every truly understand the depth of sadness you are feeling but with one of us losing a parent to cancer we can relate. We pray that your wonderful memories of Randy and the love and grace of God will ease the pain in your hearts. We are so grateful that Randy touched our lives even if it was too brief. It seems that he touched many others including students over the years. We are also so glad that although his life was cut short that he got to experience being a grandparent. That brought him such joy! We love you and please know that your family will continue to be in our prayers.
May God be with you during these difficult times. We offer our condolences. Randy was a special person and will be greatly missed.
Linda and Christy, my prayers and thoughts are with u in this time of loss.. Randy was a super man, very caring Christian. He will be remembered so much for all his good works and now his life on earth has ended and he is with our Lord and Savior.. no more pain! God Bless your family.
Ill never forget all the great times I had in Mr. Ragsdale's class! he always had a big smile on his face. even when someone did something he didn't like… there are so many great memories that nobody will ever be able to forget. my prayers go out to your family… God bless.
Linda and Christy, It is not often in life that you come across a person as amazing and genuine as Randy was. He was a great coach, teacher, father, and overall human being. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in this time of sorrow.
Please accept my sincere sympathy for your loss. Your family will be in my thoughts and prayers as you heal. Cindy
Linda, my prayers are with you. Even though I didn't know your husband I know he had to be an awesome man because you are an awesome lady. My sympathy goes out to you and your family. Hang in there you have an awesome God who is walking right along with you in this difficult time.
Linda and Christy – It was an honor and a privilege for both of us to work with Randy. He touched so many lives in such a positive way. FHS is much richer because it had him, and we were truly blessed to have such a fine example to TRY to emulate. He lives on in so very many hearts; both young and old. Thank you for sharing him with us.
Linda & Family, we were so sorry to hear of Randy's passing, you all were so good to our Mother Pearl Denton, we are her daughters, Juanita Skaggs, Jean Francis, Wanda Huett, Donna Boarman, want you to know you are in our thoughts & prayers, May God be with you in this great time of sorrow, may you always keep your great memories. Love to all of you.
Mr. Ragsdale is a amazing person he would say "hi how are you today" to anyone and if you were having a bad day he would try his hardest to make you feel better. If you needed help he would stay with you aslong as it took. Are prays and thoughts are with his family.
We are so sorry to hear about Mr. Ragsdale's passing. He was one of our favorite teachers in high school and we'll miss him very much. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers. may God help you through this very difficult time.
We know that God is with us and blesses our lives in so many ways, but it is in the time of loss that we discover the deepest meaning of His tenderness. May you sense His presence and feel His great love. We send our love and prayers to you.
Linda and Christy, I am really sorry for your loss! Randy was a great man and role model for many people. I am really sorry
Christy (Mrs. Ragsdale), I am very sad to hear about Coach Ragsdale going home. Coach Ragsdale was such a warm and loving man, father, teacher and friend. I am so very thankful he was able to be apart of my life. He was a true testimony of how a man should lead his family. I appreciate the time he took to truly care for his students and players, as well as opening up his home to all those screaming girls!!!! I remember how he always tried to comfort me when I got down about not winning a game. I still have a picture of the three seniors that finished from his freshman team. I hope that one day my daughter will have an amazing person like Coach Ragsdale in her life. He made a great difference to all he met. I know the Lord welcomed him home saying, Well done thy good AND FAITHFUL servant, well done!
My prayers continue to be with you and your family during this difficult time.
I am so sorry for your loss. Coach Ragsdale was such a dear teacher, coach and friend to so many. My prayers are with your family during this time of great sadness.
Mr. Ragsdale was one of a kind and will be missed by everyone that he touched in his life.
Dear Ragsdale Family, My thoughts and prayers are with you all during this difficult time. Coach Ragsdale was an inspiration to many and will be missed dearly. I feel as though my high school days were much better knowing that I had someone like Mr. Ragsdale looking over me. Still, to this day, he has been and will always be one of my favorite teachers and coaches. I appreciate everything he as done for the community, school, church, etc. I look forward to the day when I will see Mr. Ragsdale in heaven. Maybe then I will get to shoot some hoops with him once again. On behalf of the Kollmeyer Family, our hearts go out to you. God Bless, Maggie Kollmeyer
Linda and family: I am so very sorry to hear of your loss. Though Randy's earthly life was much too short, he lived it fully and will be remembered by all whose lives he touched.
Linda, I am profoundly sorry for your loss. Randy was a great man and I respected him tremendously. Remember, when a man of God dies nothing of God dies. Randy truly was a man of God. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Sincerely, Mark and Tammy Dochterman
Until we meet again my friend..Michelle and Lauren Jost, Andrew and Alli Boyer
I was in the same class as Randy and we rode the same school bus from 7th grade on. The best way I can describe Randy is to say he was just a nice guy. As a boy he was never rude, crude or obnoxious and even though I didn't keep in touch with him past high school, I never heard one negative thing about him. When our paths did cross, he was always as I remembered him, sweet, friendly and kind. We had recently become Facebook friends and througha couple chats I learned of his bout with cancer, and through our "chats" I saw his courage, faith in God and enduring spirit. You have my deepest sympathy. Rhonda Brooks
MR. Ragsdale, you were by far my favorite teacher during my highschool years. You always, ALWAYS put a smile on my face. This world is going to miss you.
I am so sorry. You are all in my prayers.
Mr Ragsdale, Thank you so much for being such a compassionate and caring teacher and person. Especially in high school when some teenagers definitely need to know someone cares. Thank you for also telling me how proud I should be of my own kids. Sometimes we need to be reminded of this and it's always nice to know someone else thinks highly of them too. They thought the world of you and you will be greatly missed. I hope your family finds some comfort and peace in the fact that you were love by so many. Our thought and prayers are with them.
My deepest sympathies. Your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.
I remember Mr. Ragsdale mostly when my daughter Patti attended FCA. When she was a new student it was hard for her at the time. Mr. Ragsdale was so kind to her and was a great encouragment to her. He had a great sense of humor and knew how to relate to all people young and old. I always had a great admiration for him. He loved the Lord, you could see and feel it in his daily walk. I know he will be missed.
I will never forget the things that you taught me, not only in geometry, but in life. Thank you for the things you have done for me. Life won't be the same without your daily hugs and words of wisdom. My deepest sympathies to your family and friends. Love, Allison K
The hope which Jesus gives is real (not just a wish.) When we trust Him with our lives, we know we will see Randy again, because he trusted Jesus too. Linda and Christy and family, I pray God gives you a deep measure of His grace and comfort as you grieve.
Goodbye to a wonderful man that always had a smile and kind word for anyone he ever met. Our daughter had him as a teacher for her four years at FHS and she adored him. It is awesome to know that one person had such support from all just because he was such a great person. He will always be remembered and thought of fondly. Goodbye Mr. Ragsdale.
Linda, Randy touched so many people and it was an honor to know him. He has been a blessing to so many. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I know our Lord will give you the comfort and His peaceful assurance that He has Randy in His keeping. God bless you.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all. I know how it feels to lose someone too soon. Lean on God, only he is strong enough to hold a grieving family together.
i never had mr. ragsdale as a teacher but he always had a smile on his face whenever he seen me through the hallways! i'm going to miss him so much!
We are so sorry for your loss. He is a great loss for Farmington School District and all the people he has touched and inspired. Our deepest sympathy goes out to your family.
Linda & Family: I am so sorry for you loss. I enjoyed all the years I worked with Randy as our Church Softball Commissioner and President on the Parks & Recreation Board. Randy was such a gentleman and a perfectionist. I always told him if he could train the other Commissioners to be so efficient I wouldn't have to do anything. He will be greatly missed by everyone.
Class of 99 I'm so very sorry. I was speechless when I heard the news, I was thinking this had to be another Randy ragsdale. Rest assured that God is good, God is Faithful, and God can be trusted. I pray that you draw closer to God, and rest on the promise the Randy just received. Family; he is resting in Glory. And We can Praise God for that!
Randy was a great man always liked seeing him at church softball games in 80's. Always smiling and having fun now he is heaven waiting on us to get there to have another game. family he is not suffering just keep memories alive.
Mr. Ragsdale, You have made such an impact on my life. You are an amazing person that is loved by a lot of people. I hope to see you again one day. I love you so much.
Toni and I were both shocked and deeply saddened by Randy's death. We had not even realized he was seriously ill. After 33 years being married, I'm sure this has to be a difficult time for you and Christy. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Donnie
My heart goes out to the family of Randy.. Linda and Christy u had a terrific man in your lives.. Linda I know u will miss him after 32 years together… but keep him in your heart and he will be with u forever… God Bless
Linda, Christy, and Dan, Easter is going to be the first holiday without Randy. I know it will be hard for all of us seeing the chair he always sit in. I know he will be there in spirit. The is A song about holes in the floor of heaven. Hopefully Randy will be looking down watching Trinity find her eggs.You will always have our love and support. Love always, Sandy
randy was a good guy. he was funny and we enjoyed his funny songs. tammy said he was a good teacher. he always called her trouble. he's shouting and rejoycing in heaven. no more suffering. we will be praying for you linda, christy. we will see him someday. love you guys, tammy, bill,franci, aleisha,mund
Linda and family: So sorry to hear of Randy's passing. He was such a gentlemen and Cassie sure enjoyed him for her coach in Middle School. Our prayers are with you and may God bless you in this time of need.