John H. Randel, 77 years old, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.

He was born in Bethesda, MD, on September 30th, 1948, and died a resident of Tempe, AZ, on August 26, 2026.

John’s exceptional analytical prowess was evident at an early age. As a young boy, while his family was living in Italy, he fell into a well and disappeared. He did not panic; he studied the underground dynamics of the well and rescued himself.

He spent his early student days in Coronado, CA. In 1963, Scottsdale, AZ became his home. In 1966, he was the Scottsdale High School valedictorian and recipient of the Harvard Book Club Award. His sister Nancy remembers that his high school math teacher was so impressed by John’s academic diligence that she hoped she could live up to his standards!

John went on to Pomona College in Claremont, CA, and later transferred to Arizona State University, where he received a graduate degree in Education in August 1994.

In his professional life, John was a chemist at Kelco in San Diego. He has at least one patent and was proud of helping invent an artificial blueberry. He was a realtor in Oklahoma for a time. He enjoyed teaching AP chemistry and math at Highland School in Gilbert, AZ. He was also a sought-out tutor for both chemistry and calculus.

With the family, he shared book titles, restaurant suggestions, and thoughtful holiday gifts. He enjoyed exchanging photographs of particularly well-plated meals with his sister-in-law Cynthia. He loved playing checkers with his nephew Matt, who would go on to become the state champion. He was generous with his advice, both solicited and unsolicited. His love and insights will be missed.

John was a greater Phoenix Mensan. He was a voracious reader with a broad range of interests. He regularly emailed articles he found intriguing, timely, or humorous to his fellow Mensans and selected family members. He enjoyed the intellectual feedback and conversations his outreach stimulated. His contributions will be missed.

John is preceded in death by his father, Dr. Harvey Randel, San Diego, CA; stepfather, Alan H. Kempner, of Paradise Valley, AZ.

He leaves behind his mother, Rosemary Kempner, Scottsdale, AZ; sister Nancy Harlow, Paradise Valley, AZ; nephew Matthew Harlow, Chandler, AZ; ex-wife and close friend Aimee Schwartz, Tempe, AZ; stepbrother Alan Kempner and his wife Cynthia Kempner, Scottsdale, AZ; half-brother Bradley Randel, Las Vegas, NV; half-sister Caroline Crawford, San Diego, CA.

The memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, 4800 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85018.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice of the Valley (HOV.ORG). Their team of compassionate professionals respected John’s wishes and guided his private, dignified end-of-life journey.