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 Wilkins, Randall Duane age 55, of Phoenix, died peacefully in his sleep on November 27, 2012. Randy was born in York, Pennsylvania on June 8, 1957. He was the son of the late Dr. Frederick Mead Wilkins and the late Shirley Ruth Wilkins of Scottsdale and Fort Worth, Texas. Randy was raised in Arizona where he graduated from Scottsdale High School in 1975. He was active on the swim team and enjoyed raising show chickens and horseback riding. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. from Arizona State University in 1979. While at ASU, he was active in the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. He attended Georgetown University Law School and graduated in 1982. He returned to Arizona and began his legal career with Streich Lang Weeks and Cardon. He became a founding partner in Bonn and Wilkins where he served as lead counsel in a number of significant class action lawsuits, including the largest class action case to date in Arizona history. Randy was admitted to the United States Supreme Court, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. At the time of his passing, Randy practiced at the firm of Burch and Cracchiolo. Besides his love of the law, his passions included world history, international cuisine and travel. Over the years, Randy particularly enjoyed spending time in southern California along the coast. He is survived by his sister, Kimberly Schrader, her husband, Alfred, and a nephew, Christian Frederick Schrader of West Hartford, Connecticut. He is also survived by his aunt, Virginia Wilkins Parsons of Collingswood, New Jersey and his uncles, Raymond Hartman and Richard Hartman of Gratz, Pennsylvania and numerous cousins in Pennsylvania. A Memorial Service has been planned for Saturday, January 12, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. in the Chapel at Valley Presbyterian Church, 6947 E McDonald Drive, Paradise Valley. Contributions in Randy's memory may be made to the American Heart Association, Arizona Chapter, 2929 S. 48th Street, Tempe, AZ 85282 or ASPCA - The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 25 N. 40th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85034. You may leave an online condolence for Randy's family at www.messingermortuary.com.
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Dan Colton
The day my wife and I were in construction trailer in Arcadia Estates I saw Randy and his wife at the time in there too. That was 1996. Randy and I were friendly but little did I know we were connected as SHS classmates. I left SHS early to join the Navy with my buddy Jim Dwight so I didn't know all my classmates.One day a friend told me of SHS party at ponderosa lumber where I saw Randy and that night we reconnected & many times thereafter. I still live in my neighborhood and every once in a while the beaver nation offers me an opportunity to remember my life long ago. Tonight at Los Olivos I reconnected to a time long ago. Thinking of Randy tonight and wishing all of our classmates could be together as we were 40 yrs ago. My wish would be for all of us to be together in mind or spirit this weekend. Cheers to a simpler time and a lifelong connection our parents gave to each and everyone of us.
Jacque' Kruglick
We definitely are the luckiest class, growing up in a time when Scottsdale was a small town and we knew all our neighbors and classmates. The Scottsdale High teachers, students and our neighbors were our family. Randy lived across from us on Camelback Road and supported and helped my sister and I after our Mother passed away, well before we started high school when we were still in Kaibab.
We had a goat, Collette, that my father didn't want us to have at our house so Randy boarded Collette at his house for $15.00 a month. Soon Collette became Randy's goat. Randy, thank you for loving Collette as much as I did.
Randy also had a horse, Fritz, that he was very proud of and which he always told me that it was going to be a famous horse one day. At the time, I too had a horse, a pony I named Misty that I kept at our house but always thought how lucky Randy was to have such a great horse. One day, years later when I was training horses, a student found a horse at a horse rescue named Fritz, she asked for help training her new horse. The next three months I trained Fritz, we won our first event and went on to higher levels of eventing. Fritz had a tattoo under his lip, we looked up his number and found through the registry that the horse's registered name was John Fritz. I was shocked to find that Fritz was the horse that Randy had when he was 13 years old. I called Randy and told him how successful his horse had become.
Randy, you took care of my goat, Collette that became yours and gave me a great horse for competition that did become famous, at least famous to us. Randy, take care of Fritz, our famous horse, he's all yours now.
Randy we will all miss you tonight and I know that you will be watching and partying with us. Take care of all our friends, horses and animals that have joined you in heaven.
We have lived in the best of times.
Love and may God bless you,
JDK & JHK
Michael Getto
Randy was a good man. Evolved and mature in high school, I always enjoyed my discussions with him about everything from politics to the fight game which he knew very well.
Rest in Peace, Randy.