Randy Hal Keele, one of God’s greatest, passed away on October 11 from complications related to dementia. He was at home, surrounded by adoring family.
Randy was born on March 10, 1971, in the greater Salt Lake City area. He was born with Down’s Syndrome, but that would have been news to him: he somehow leveraged his extra 23rd chromosome to live an extra full life.
At age 5 he began his education at Jordan Valley, a school for people like him, from where he graduated (simultaneously from the local LDS Seminary) at 21.
Randy’s gifts were many, but from an early age it was clear he was an athlete. He participated in the Special Olympics for over 20 years. Beginning at age 8, with sports like gymnastics and swimming, he qualified for both regional and state games. From there he moved on to dominate basketball, speed skating, track and field, and bowling, winning countless medals (this is no hyperbole…we literally lost count there were so many…in his first year alone he won 23 gold medals across all levels of competition). He especially loved the state games, a rare opportunity to escape his parents, stay in a hotel, and enjoy the parties thrown for the athletes. He continued his domination after he moved with his family to St. George, in Southern Utah, in 1990.
He earned his Eagle Scout in 2013, after completing his project repainting Arrowhead Elementary’s playground geographic maps.
The LDS church was also very dear to him. In 2001 he became a Member Missionary–after relentlessly pestering his Bishop about wanting to serve a mission–a post from which he never retired. He sang in the ward choir and was a standout in the local Special Needs Mutual, participating in talent shows (he loved to sing but, honestly, could only charitably be described as tone deaf), cutting the rug at proms, and starring in plays.
Randy worked many jobs throughout the years, most successfully at a recycling center, where there were fewer distractions: he was asked to move on from a stint at a pawn shop where the TVs proved too engrossing, and from an Arby’s where he found the female clientele more enchanting than bussing tables. After retiring, he spent many of his days at the RISE day program.
It’s unfortunate for the Green Valley community in St. George that he, a masterful distributor of candy, passed before Halloween. He loved to dress up as Michael Jackson, Frankenstein, Peter Pan, Spiderman, and Indiana Jones.
The family will hold a private graveside service near his beloved Fishlake at Bicknell Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Special Olympics: https://support.specialolympics.org/a/give-in-your-state
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