Obituary of Randy Robert Willard

Randy Robert Willard (69) longtime resident of St. Maries, ID passed away while he was enjoying his morning walk with his sister Krebs on June 2, 2021. Randy was born on June 30, 1951. He grew up in Plummer and St. Maries, attending school in both towns before graduating from Plummer High School with the class of 1969. Following high school, Randy attended Boise State University and North Idaho College. He settled in St. Maries, married and divorced twice, had 4 children, then met and married Cindy Wilburn in 1987. Randy first worked in the woods as a logger. He then went to work at Potlatch Corporation where he retired after 34 years. He rode his bike to and from work every day no matter the weather. Although the commute was just a couple miles, he put many miles on that bicycle. Sports were Randy’s life. He coached his children in baseball, softball, and flag football and was their biggest fan as they grew up and continued playing. He played men’s league softball and basketball and was instrumental in starting the adult softball league in St. Maries. He was a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Celtics, Indianapolis Colts and son Skyler’s college team, Montana Tech. He proudly wore apparel from one sports team or the other. After morning walks, Randy would make his rounds and visit local businesses to say hello to people and check in on the news of the town. He enjoyed visiting with and picking on people and oddly enough people looked forward to his harassment. One of his favorite routines was stopping at the 208 Bakery and getting treats for the City Hall ladies. At the time of his death, Randy was serving on the St. Maries City Council and was president of the Senior Meal Site. He was a fundraising powerhouse and enjoyed raising money for the Senior Meal Site, beautification projects for the city, and student Washington DC trips. He and his wife Cindy organized Washington DC trips for students and adults for over 10 years. As Randy didn’t know a stranger, he made friends on all of these adventures and tirelessly recruited travelers for the next trip. Before he started having health issues, Randy was an avid outdoorsman and loved to fish and hunt. He also liked picking mushrooms, boating on the river, and visiting Farmer’s Markets. He bought a lot of produce, food, and treasures, which he’d share with his neighbors, family, and friends. Never big on having his own social media account, he became good at stalking people on Cindy’s Facebook account. He got a kick out of finding goofy memes and sharing them with people. Most importantly, Randy cherished and loved his family. He was one of a kind and will be missed by his family, friends, and community. Randy is survived by his wife Cindy at their home in St. Maries; children Kasey Willard of St. Maries, ID, Skyler (Lacie) Willard of Helena, MT, Ashley Willard of St. Maries, ID, and Jennifer (Trev) Lawrence of Port Orchard, WA; sisters Debbie “Krebs” (Kelly) Smith and Diana (Ron) Schierman both of St. Maries, ID; and his grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. He is preceded in death by parents Bob Willard, Donna Miller, Herman Miller, and nephew Cory Stapleton. A Memorial Service will be held Thursday June 10, 2021 at 2:00 pm at the Elks Lodge in St. Maries, ID. A gathering of family and friends to share a meal will follow.