Roger Petersen

You went way too early, a tragedy I'll never forget.

God Bless You!

RIP

Your Friend,

Roger Petersen

Cheryl Johnson (MacCarty)

You were like a beam of sunshine . . . you have been missed dearly.

Rodney Green

Randy and I were life long friends ,from kindergarten (Halsey) to the day he died.  I have missed him dearly.  R.B. Green

Bob Kost

We were room-mates, Art, Carl Hoeck and I, Malibu Trailers south of town to be exact. A friend of ours, Art Valantine, a Cop in C-Dale discovered the accident. I later read the Official Report but did not look at the pictures. Kidd had completed 2 final exams back to back  that day and was very tired. Randy fell asleep at the wheel and hit the only tree in the field. They were also his Last 2 finals, he died a College Graduate. I was living in Denver and my Mom called to tell me what happened. I drove 1050 miles to LF for the Funeral. I remember Mr. Kidd saying to me " Bob Kost, thanks for coming", I cried and cried. I think of him all the time-- when I see a nice big FAT cumulos nimbus cloud -- he jumped through one one time,, told me all about it. He was a Great Guy and the fun we have missed.

Some time, I was 19 and new to SIU, Kidd and Carl Hoeck came by my dorm and Kidd announced we were going to join the SIU Skydiving Club-- Cool but my parents sais NO, REALLY NO. Carl had 6 jumps, I would later have 7 when I turned 30, I liked it, bought a 750 Triumph Bonneville so to have fun in and out of Hinkley, Il. but was hit by an Old's98 as I was doing 50 mph-- 5 operations and 20 months later my skydiving days were over. So I never jumped through a cloud as was my goal. Anyway Kidd became the President of the SIU Skydiving Team. They came in 3rd in the College Nationals -- Winning the Sportsmanship Award. I can see in my mind a picture he had of himself -- flying a paracommander hitting a paper plate form 10,500' in the Nationals. But they never showed up to accept the Award because they were too drunk and Kidd was Super Pissed. The Winners and 2nd place were West Point and or the Air Force Academy. I don't remember who won. Randy said " you should see the equipment those guys have ( he didn't say " guys " ) AND they can jump whenever they want to. For FREE!!! Kidd and Team SIU had to save beer money to rent a Cessna for a couple hours. If we had their equipment we could have WON!!! He really was pissed about it.

I remember  my first time gym class at LFHS, the lockers were --- Kidd, Kost, McIntyre.

Bob Kost

What Really Happened

At the  funeral a woman named Brenda ( waitress @ Bonaparte's Retreat, the bar Randy and I both worked at ) went on and on  about how drunk Kidd was the night he died. She was there that night so we had no reason to doubt her story. Please too remember that SIU at the time was the #1 Party School in the USA and we were Proud of it . Also she really liked Kidd and fancied that they were more than friends. Truth is Kidd used to call her Blah-Bland Brenda and never had anything to do with Brenda or all the other Lovely Ladies of SIU. Kidd was 100% true to Holly. Mr. & Mrs. Kidd died believing Randy hit that tree drunk. But I later learned that was NOT the case.

Remember when Sammy Sosa hit #60 @ Wrigley Field? I was there with a good friend of mine from SIU named Joe Boyer. After Joe fought the Viet Nam War-- Army Artillary, with the GI Bill he decided to get a College Education. He did too. Randy, Joe and I were good friends. Joe was the last person to have seen Randy alive. The Following is what Really happened ------ He too was working at Bonapart's Retreat that night. Randy had just finished 2 finals and was very tired. They were working a private party and Kidd was one of the bar managers. So he had to be there. He had maybe 2 Bud's-- Tops. Early on  into the party Kidd asked Joe if he minded if he got going early- just super tired? No problem see you tomorrow. Kidd left and was headed home, never making it. At Wrigley Field ( 9 rows behind the Cubs dugout-- Joe always went 1st Class ) Joe asked, really pissed-off  " Who told you Kidd was Drunk ?? "  " Brenda " said I and Former Sgt. Joe Boyer replied ,,,, " that bitch- she was ALLL F***ed up, not Kidd". If anyone knows where Randy Kidd's sister Jody is please pass this True story along. So she knows.

Maybe 6 - 7 years ago I had a horse racing @ Arlington Park. Carl and I were standing in the Paddock as I believe Our Sharky was being saddled, it was a beautiful day. With some Great BIG cumulos nimbus clouds. I smiled and said to Carl, " Kidd would have loved my racehorses " Carl agreed.

Marion (June) Cathcart (-Smith)

 There's an angel in heaven named Randy Kidd.  God must have really needed him to take him so early.  I