Rest In Power Randall Holmes
photo: Randall (right) – 4/23/11 at protest against Arizona anti – immigrant – SB1070
By Dan O’Neal
Progressive Democrats of America lost one of our own last month. Randal Holmes, Phoenix PDA Chapter activists and the former chair of our National Election Protection National Issue Organizing Team has passed. The following memorial statement from PDA Arizona State coordinator Dan O’Neal captures a glimpse of our very close friend and comrade.
RIP Randall…… I don’t really believe I am saying this …. sad news is always hard to grapple with but it is with great sadness that I let you all know that my long time friend, your friend Randall Holmes has passed.
Yesterday afternoon ( Wed March 11th) Randall suffer serious injuries in an accident in Phoenix. He was taken to the emergency room at John C Lincoln hospital in Phoenix where doctors were not able to save him, he passed today. Randal was 69 .
Randall, OMG where do I start. He was the, wildly funny liberal lefty politico. Always a fixture at political meetings, Democratic Party events and more. Randall was a long time member of PDA and a few years back chaired our National Election Protection National Issue Organizing Team. He was also a long time member DFA and very active in the Arizona Democratic Party. Randall served both on the State and County level as a strong advocate for Fair and Transparent Elections. He was a Precinct Committee Person in LD-30 and was elected to the ADP State Committee.
He was a good friend, I can see him now, slowly swaggering into the room with his jacket full of political buttons, a water bottle sticking out of his cargo pants pocket. A Bernie Sanders 2016 ball cap trying to cover his balling head, ….. oh gee my friend your humor and sharp writ will be missed.
Mr. Kumbaya, as we sometimes called him. He always have the gift to get up in front of a group and speak his peace. At one contentious ADP State committee meeting years ago he got up and led the whole gathering in a rousing version of Kumbaya. At times he would often push the envelope and speak over people, “gently” interrupting a speaker or bogarting the mic way to long. Yet, most of time it was full of good humor and he always had a good political point to make. That was our Randall !!!
Randall came to all the protests, often part of the Street Theater parody team Billionaires for Bush and more recently the BOOBS – Billionaires and Oligarchs Opposing Bernie Sanders, oh what fun, I have to fine some of those pictures.
Anyone ever spend three hours in a car with Randall? An experience you will never forget. A few months ago a couple of us drove down to Nogales will Randall. He was non-stop, Trump, Bernie, moderate candidates from A to Z all was on the table, joking and reciting everything from history to philosophy.
A strong supporter of Bernie Sanders I saw him at the big rally at the Memorial Coliseum just last week. He was in the top deck with his sister from Minnesota and several friends yelling down at my wife Isabel and I below. He was at my house two days later at a Bernie – Medicare For All event with Sanders national surrogate Michael Lighty. We had a beer at my dinning room table just five days ago. That was the last time …. I love you man.
Randall Holmes PRESENTE
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