- Date Of Birth: July 7, 1953
- Date Of Death: July 1, 2022
- State: Wisconsin
After 26 years with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), Randy Anthony Santora ran into the arms of his Heavenly Father on July 1, 2022. He was born on July 7, 1953 to Anthony and Marie Santora in Newark, NJ into a large and wonderful extended Italian family. Randy gave his heart to the Lord at a young age at Bethany Assembly of God (A/G) in Hillside, NJ. He later joined the Youth Group at Evangel A/G, in Elizabeth, NJ.
Randy was also instrumental in the formation of His Place Coffeehouse, an avenue of street ministry and counseling. He attended leadership courses through Liberty School of the Bible in order to be a counselor there. Randy also learned sign language and worked with Pastor Croft Pentz at the national first A/G Church for the Deaf. In 1977, at the behest of Pastor Pentz, Randy packed up and moved to Minneapolis to study Deaf and Children’s Ministries at North Central Bible College. The next year, he met the love of his life, Jane. Randy transferred to, then graduated from, the University of Minnesota, with a B.S. in Elementary Education.
After their daughter was born in 1983, they moved to central Wisconsin. There, Randy worked for Beltone, then Avada Hearing until his retirement in 2000. Once in Wisconsin, they quickly became involved at Christian Life Fellowship in Port Edwards. Randy taught 4th Grade Sunday School for several years, assisted in Young Couples Fellowship, Vacation Bible School, Choir, and many outreach ministries. Who will ever forget Randy marking off the size of Noah’s Ark in the parking lot with yellow tape?
Randy was delighted to be a father, and years later, a father-in-law and grandfather. He cherished his children until the end. When he was diagnosed with PD in 1996, he was forced to retire from work in 2000. Randy chose to see this as a blessing of time given to do things he had always wanted. He held community studies on the book of Revelation, started a local PD support group, led classes at CLF on Comparative Religions and Cults, and held seminars on Creation Science. He also had the opportunity to substitute teach for area school districts; his favorite teaching experience being Summer School Rocketry Class.
Randy was always willing to help anyone who asked. It didn’t matter whether it was with moving, driving someone who needed a ride, clearing brush at Jeremiah’s Crossing, cleaning, sorting and transporting packages for Operation Christmas Child, serving with Convoy of Hope in Milwaukee, and so much more.
Although he’d be the first to say that he wasn’t perfect, he had a heart of gold. Randy never met anyone that he didn’t like. He had a genuine concern for the souls of others and identified as a sinner saved by grace. He strove to live his best by his faith in Christ until the very last.
He was welcomed on Heaven’s shore by his parents and his in-laws Carl and Lillian Morrison, plus so many more loved ones. He will be sorely missed by his wife, Jane of Port Edwards, WI, daughter Noel, son Jason (Devan), son Vincent (Hannah) of Weyauwega, WI, sister Cora Conte (Oswaldo) of Tampa, FL, and granddaughter, Adeline. He also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, and cousins who will miss him.
The family would like to thank the staff at Hilltop of Pepper for caring for Randy for the past eight months. Thank you to Heartland Hospice, home caregiver Shelly Rynish and her family, Dr. Anthony Mosley of Marshfield Clinic, and his Assistant Anne and retired assistant Mahala, for their kind and loving care of Randy over the years.
