When I saw on Facebook this past Wednesday that my childhood friend, Randy McBroom, had suffered a massive heart attack and wasn’t expected to live, I immediately burst into tears. How could that be? He had just posted a few days before that he was on the mend after suffering some serious but under-control health problems. And besides, he had just been posting photos of his new little grandson who is almost the same age as my little Ethan (8 months), and hadn’t Randy gone to the Kueckehan Rodeo in our hometown just last week with his son? There was just no way that Randy, who clearly embraced life and had lots to live for, was going to so quickly be whisked off this mortal plane.

I did what every other person who knew him on Facebook did: I wrote a note to his wife saying that I was sending up prayers for him and the family, and I did just that. I have prayed for him since Wednesday with a concerted hope that he would somehow defy the odds and wake up, weak but capable of resuming the life that he clearly loved.

However, yesterday, after lighting a candle for him at the end of the 8 am Mass, I checked Facebook to see how he was faring. Randy’s daughter had just posted a message commemorating her father’s wonderful memory and used the word “was” rather than “is.” I understood that my childhood friend was gone.  

Over these past two days, I’ve read the outpouring of messages heralding Randy’s kindness, sense of humor, intelligence, community involvement, spiritual leadership as a Baptist pastor, and exceptional work before his retirement as a tenured professor and then later the Associate Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Texas A&M University-Commerce. He’d clearly made a positive impact on many people in the varied arenas of his life. I wasn’t surprised.

My encounters with Randy over the past few years have been limited to school reunions or rare moments where we found ourselves at the same place at the same time. During those times, I was very aware that this boy I had known so many years ago had grown into a highly-educated and kind man who was not only comfortable in his own skin but also capable of creating a cordial and safe connection with others. I came away from each of those brief encounters feeling as if I’d been seen and also heard. That is a rare and wonderful quality, which I’m certain Randy displayed wherever he went.

May light perpetual shine upon you, Randy. You have brought much love and happiness to this world. May God wrap your family in His loving arms as they grieve your untimely death. I feel certain your memory will bring them great comfort and joy. May you rest in peace, my friend.

Randy and his grandson in June 2023