“She loved it and she lived it,” said Bill Becker, a member of the “Grandpa Gang,” a volunteer group that maintains the lights.
Randall died Friday at Arlington Pointe after a lengthy illness. She was 91.
Becker said it’s ironic that Randall died during Light Up Middletown that’s open from 6-10 p.m. through New Year’s Eve.
“She’s looking down right now making sure all the lights are where she wants them,” Becker said with a laugh.
He said members of the “Grandpa Gang” will attend Randall’s funeral service and plan to pay tribute to her this year at LUM.
Ann Mort, who once lived next door to Randall on Riverview Avenue in Middletown, said she was always “a worker bee” and never a chair until LUM. She sought the advice of many business leaders, enlisted volunteers and opened LUM in 1999.
“She built it and they came,” Mort said. “And thousands are still coming.”
Over the years, Randall was recognized by the Middletown City Council, Butler County Commission and the Ohio State House of Representatives for starting LUM.
In her professional career, she worked for the Middletown City School District for 29 years, 23 of those as the athletic department secretary. She retired in 1996.
Mort said Randall “reaped her rewards” from hundreds of former students and coaches who stopped her in public and gave her hugs and words of thanks for her years of “mothering” as they passed through the MHS athletic office.
Randall “left it all on the sidelines” with the coaches and student/athletes, Mort said. “She was the surrogate mother to many through the years.”
Mark Kerns, a retired Middletown teacher and coach, said while Randall sat at her desk, and others had their names on their doors, she was the “go-to person” in the athletic office.
“When you wanted something done, she was your person,” Kerns said.
Patrick Randall, one of her three sons, said his mother “loved that job. She gave of herself so much.”
He said his father, Dallas, coached Knothole baseball and Pee Wee football for 18 years. Flo was there for every game.
“We were raised at Smith Park,” he said. “We were extremely poor, but mom made sure we were fed and clean every night. She lived a good full life.”
Randall also received the Special Volunteer for Special Olympic Award, Distinguished Service Award from Summer Skill Building Program at MHS, All American Weekend Honorary Chairman Award and All American Weekend Hall of Fame Award.
She was a charter member of the Pigskin/Roundball Club and the MHS Hall of Fame, a member of MHS Athletic Booster Club, Eastern Star, and was an alumni of Leadership Middletown, the board of the Middletown Safety Council and many other organizations.
The 1950 Middletown High School graduate overcame some major personal challenges. She was severely injured in an auto accident that required reconstructive surgery and months of rehabilitation. Just as she was recovering from that accident, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
While being treated for cancer, she began LUM.
Patrick Randall said he remembers his mother saying: “I’ll see those lights come on.”
She is survived by her three sons, Rodney (Barbara) of Oxford, Patrick (Tonya) of Middletown and James (Kristina) of Middletown, seven grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband.
Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Wilson-Schramm-Spaulding Funeral Home, 3805 Roosevelt Blvd., Middletown with the Rev. Woodrow Adkins officiating. Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. at the funeral home. Interment will be at Woodside Cemetery.
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