Randall “Randy” Keith Rose, 70, passed away in the early hours of December 26, 2024, in O’Fallon, MO.
Born in Topeka, KS on October 21, 1954, the son of Robert “Bob” E. Rose and Leda Ridlon Rose, Randy was the third of five children. In his earliest years, the family lived on farms around Clinton, KS and Randy attended Wakarusa Valley Elementary school. Wakarusa Valley’s opening in 1959 was Randy’s Kindergarten year and he wished the opening had been one year later which would have allowed him bragging rights for the opportunity to attend a one room schoolhouse. The Rose family later moved to Lawrence where Randy attended Central Junior High and Lawrence High School, meeting many of his future lifelong friends.
Randy was a sports and outdoors enthusiast. Growing up, Randy played multiple sports, but had a particular fondness for baseball – not only for the love of the game, but for the time it meant he could spend in the dugout with his older brothers and dad. Later he was introduced to racquetball, which became a quick favorite as well. His love for sports and the outdoors would later be passed on to his children and grandchildren.
After high school, Randy enlisted in the Army and was stationed in Germany. Upon returning to Kansas, Randy used the GI Bill to attend Emporia State University, where he enrolled in an “Introduction to Earth Science” class. It was then Randy realized his love of the outdoors could become a career path and he completed his Bachelors of Science majoring in Earth Science. He then attended classes for a fifth year to obtain his teaching certificate, a job he loved and devoted his life to. Randy would later return to ESU, being awarded a graduate assistantship working in the Geology Museum and teaching both Earth Science and General Science. Emporia would hold a special grip on Randy’s heart as another place where he met lifelong friends and made cherished memories.
In 1980, Randy married Margy Kappelman and together they had three children, Tiffany, Robert, and Samantha. While the first few years of their marriage included living in a number of towns around Eastern Kansas; Chanute, Emporia and Stanley, they moved back to Lawrence in 1988 to raise their family. Although no longer married, the two could often be found sitting together on the sidelines of grandchildren’s events or at family get-togethers.
For over 25 years Randy commuted from Lawrence to Lenexa to teach for the Blue Valley School District. Randy spent the bulk of his career teaching Earth and Space Science at Blue Valley North High School, sharing his love and knowledge with thousands of students. His former students and colleagues may remember him for a long list of reasons including, but not limited to: his dry sense of humor and punny jokes, being assigned a row and seat number, his rock and fossil collections, a sand collection with over 400+ samples from around the world, strict rules, classroom pets like snakes, turtles, hedgehogs, tarantulas, fish, etc., hot air balloon competitions, smiles and encouragement, hand written lesson plans and seating charts, the Star lab, field trips to Colorado and the Galapagos islands, and a sincere passion for what he was doing. In the student newspaper, Randy was once quoted as saying he found his experience of teaching “revitalizing”. He loved sharing his enthusiasm for the sciences with students and considered himself lucky to be surrounded by amazing colleagues, many of whom he considered true friends. Randy helped start and lead the Science Club at BVN, something he was immensely proud of. Throughout the years he would take the club on trips to the Oklahoma City Science Center, Squaw Creek Wildlife Reserve, caves in the Ozarks and a variety of other destinations. For a number of years, Randy would also sponsor the Science Olympiad Team at BVN, another activity he found very rewarding. Randy could often be found working the chain gang, running clocks, supervising the lunchroom, and supporting the arts at BVN as well – he championed his students in all their endeavors. Later in his career, Randy extended his expertise to the college level, teaching courses at Johnson County Community College. Throughout his time teaching, he received countless awards, for which he was very humble and seldom spoke of. These included recognition by and repeated awards from such entities as the Kansas Geological Survey, the American Meteorology Society, the Kansas Earth Science Teachers Association, the National Science Olympiad, and even having his picture in a 1999 volume of TIME magazine for receiving the Radio Shack Tandy Scholar Award.
In the midst of his career, Randy finished his Master’s degree majoring in Physical and Earth Science. His final project consisted of creating topographic maps for portions of Colorado, one of his very favorite places. Randy wanted to introduce as many people as possible to the mountains so, along with some fellow teachers, he helped establish a Mountain Ecology class for high school students. This summer course began with a couple weeks of in-class instruction and culminated in a 10 day backpacking trip through the Rawah Wilderness in Colorado. Whether studying rocks out in the field or discerning constellations in the Star Lab, he created unforgettable experiences for all who participated.
Not one to sit around, Randy kept busy with a variety of hobbies. He enjoyed canoeing, hiking, biking, mushroom hunting, camping, visiting museums, playing racquetball, searching for fossils, and marveling at the vast landscapes that inspired him. As his kids got a little older, Randy enjoyed planning summer vacations and sharing the beauty he found in the mountains of Colorado with them. Estes Park was a family favorite along with Rocky Mountain National Park, but Randy also knew of countless less popular, but no less interesting, places to visit. Each family vacation was filled with memories that would last a lifetime.
Over the years he visited numerous national parks across the country, seeing and learning as much as he could. He hadn’t been everywhere yet, but it was on his list. If you were lucky enough to travel with him, then you often found yourself entertained by his wealth of information which he so generously and effortlessly shared. He had a thirst for knowledge about the world around him and every trip was more than a vacation – it was an opportunity to connect with nature and history, made even better by good company.
In his retirement, Randy found it hard to sit still for too long. He worked part time at Dillons for a while before realizing he missed the kids and teachers and became a substitute teacher. Retirement did allow for more time to sit in his truck drinking coffee and listening to NPR, driving county roads, visiting with friends, taking spur of the moment road trips, meeting up with former colleagues, and spending time with family. Retirement was good to him and he deserved it.
Perhaps one of his biggest joys, however, came from his role as Papa, forming meaningful bonds with each of his five grandchildren. He embraced this role with immeasurable love, always eager to give big hugs, spoil them with kindness, and be their biggest fan. His devotion to the five of them was unwavering, being present at as many activities as he could. From routine sports practices to out of town tournaments, giving rides on the riding lawn mower, attending school functions, trips to the zoo, even going on a couple vacations – Papa was there, never missing an opportunity to support them and celebrate their accomplishments.
With the return and progression of his cancer, along with the support of his family, Randy decided to forgo living alone and moved out of his Lawrence home in early spring of 2024, splitting his time between his daughters’ homes. This also allowed for further treatment options at Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis. Randy was not going to let the cancer win without a fight – and he fought hard. Although under undesirable circumstances, this time ended up being priceless for all. Countless memories were made in the small moments of the day; as grandkids got ready for school, talking around the dinner table, trips to the store, and bedtime routines that now included hugs from Papa. Even the drives to and from doctors appointments became opportunities for sharing new music or videos found online, reflecting on memories, and holding quality conversations.
As Randy became aware that his time here was dwindling, he emphasized the importance of telling those you love that you love them – to say it outloud. He may have had a loud bark at times, but he was one of the kindest people you would ever meet. In his honor, tell someone you love them, give them a long hug, or do something for them without needing to be recognized for it. Then, show that same level of kindness to strangers – he wished for a kinder, more peaceful world for all.
Randy leaves behind his children, daughter Tiffany (Brad) Hopkins and grandchildren Elsie, Amos, & Otto of O’Fallon, MO; son Robert Rose of Valley Park, MO; daughter Samantha (Blake) Anderson and grandchildren Hoyt & Sage of Lawrence, KS; brothers Bob (Wendy) and Joe (Diane); sister Becky Wright; sister-in-law Sharon Rose; former wife Margy Rose, along with many nieces, nephews, and cousins whom he loved very much. He was preceded in death by his parents, Bob & Leda Rose; brother, Monte Rose; and former in-laws Karl and JoAnn Kappelman.
Tiffany, Robert, and Samantha would like to take this opportunity to share how much they love and appreciate their Dad. They fondly remember him attending softball and football games, tennis matches, choir concerts, and working hard to provide for the family. There are too many memories to list, but some of their favorites include: walking up to West to play tennis, playing catch outside, enjoying the tree house Dad built, bike rides, helping in the garden or having pony rides at Grandma and Grandpa’s, getting personal lessons about constellations, hunting for and eating Morels, and leisurely walking around Clinton Lake. A couple of the best life lessons the three learned from their Dad was that time together is priceless and you can find true joy and wonder from some of the simplest of activities.
The family would also like to extend their gratitude and appreciation to Phoenix Home Care and Hospice for their loving care of Randy throughout December. Every aspect of the company, from the amazing private duty aide, to all involved with the Hospice team – everyone was so patient, respectful and kind. Your support for Randy and the entire family through this difficult time was invaluable.
A celebration of life visitation will be held on February 28th at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home in Lawrence, KS. The family is looking forward to welcoming friends and hearing stories about Randy from 1:00-3:00pm. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests supporting Randy’s passion with memorial contributions in his name to either the Johnston Geology Museum on the Campus of ESU ℅ Emporia State University Foundation, 1500 Highland St., Emporia, KS, 66801, with checks made payable to Johnston Geology Museum Fund and the memo line reading “In memory of Randy Rose” or Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence, KS 66044, with checks made payable to the Clinton Lake Historical Society and the memo line reading “In memory of Randy Rose”.
