November 6 1961 June 11 2019
Randy Michael Raphael was born November 6, 1961 in Reedley, California. An only child, he was a happy surprise to his parents Mike Raphael and Evelyn Saba Raphael who had married in 1949. He attended St. La Salle Catholic School in Reedley until the sixth grade when he transferred to Lincoln Elementary. There he met his future wife, Holly Egbert, in Miss Eitzen’s class. Later, in high school, they became the best of friends after Randy joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints of which Holly was a member. Friendship turned to love and Holly waited for him as he served a two year mission for the LDS Church in Finland. He returned home to marry his sweetheart in the Los Angeles Temple on June 11, 1983. Randy was a competitor. He was a county all-star pitcher for the Reedley High School Pirates and ran 60 miles a week in the off season for the cross-country team. He was a good student but wanted to study in his own time and fashion. He spent many hours in the library, sometimes during classes. In college, he always excelled in his studies. He graduated from CSU Fresno with a Bachelor’s in Russian Language and Literature and BYU with a Master’s in Library and Information Science. He worked for the Utah State Board of Education, formerly known as the Utah State Office of Education, for most of his career. He was a friend and mentor to many there. Randy and Holly adopted two beautiful miracles, Chloe Elisabeth and James Michael Eblan Raphael who became the joys of their life. Four years ago, Chloe brought a new member into the family when she married Jamie Burns. We love him too. Randy loved learning and teaching himself new things. He was never without a book nearby (usually several) and was known to say, “There is really no place I would rather be than in a library.” He never finished that Ph. D., probably his one big regret in life, but he was looking forward to retirement and moving to Logan to take advantage of the senior discount ($25 to audit any class.) He planned to be a student for the rest of his life. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Monday, June 17, 2019 at the Kaysville South Stake Center, 900 S. Main Street. If you want to buy a book for yourself or some curious kid like Randy instead of sending flowers, he would probably like that. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Randy Michael Raphael please visit our Sympathy Store.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Randy Michael Raphael November 6 1961 June 11 2019.
Death notice for the town of: Ogden, state: Utah