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Submitted: 12/12/21 • Approved: 12/12/21 • Last Updated: 12/15/21 • R1405992-G0-S3
Jan 16, 1940 - Dec 12, 2017
*Obituary
Virgil Otis Randall, aged 77, passed away at his home in McRae, Arkansas on Tuesday, December 12, 2017. Randall was born January 16, 1940 in Phoenix, Arizona, to Virgil L. and Maebelle (Johnson) Randall. He married his wife, Velma (Salmon) Randall, on December 22, 1956 in Clinton, Illinois.
A man of many talents and ever the entrepreneur, (he started his own shoeshine stand in downtown Phoenix at the age of five) Otis Randall had numerous professions throughout his lifetime, but he was always an entertainer at heart. He was a welder, barber, plasterer, restaurant owner, funnel cake vendor and truck driver (he was the recipient of the first 'Safe Driver' award ever given by Sam Walton and Walmart.)
During the 1980's he owned the Gem Theater in Heber Springs, Arkansas where he developed a music and comedy stage show called The Sugarloaf Opry, but he will best be remembered for his traveling show, Randall's High Diving Racers, which featured racing pigs and his own world-famous invention, high diving pigs, in addition to Randall's comedic antics, as he would emcee the show as Boss Hogg in a pair of spray painted overalls. For nearly 20 years, Otis and his wife, Velma, toured the United States, entertaining thousands of people at fairs and festivals from coast to coast, as well as national television audiences.
He enjoyed studying the Bible, singing, drawing, painting, needlepoint, inventing, building and welding, ventriloquism, traveling, spending time with his family, telling stories...and more singing. He was very proud of his native American heritage.
Mr. Randall is survived by his wife of 60 years, Velma; children, Lonnie (Jeannene) Randall of Joy, AR; Cindy (Carroll) Wagley of Scott, AR; Karen (Chuck) Metz of McRae, AR; Sheron (Chuck) Ward of McRae, AR; and Harley Randall of Hoxie, AR. Eight grandchildren, Dustin, Mandy, Ashley, Pamela, Christy, Matt, Cathryn and Chuckie; 17 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Virgil and Maebelle and two brothers, Richard and Darrell Randall.
Graveside services will be held Thursday, December 14 at 10:00 am at Weir Cemetery in McRae.
Contributed on 12/12/21 by hawkinsdonna48
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Record #: 1405992