The Passing of Randy Hester

Randy spent his life communing with the mystical, exploring the myriad dimensions of consciousness, and on April 12, 2024, at 9:35 pm, he finally transcended, leaving his old and broken body behind. After 12 years struggling with Parkinson’s and dementia, his final days were increasingly without struggle. In the last week when it was clear he was finally dying there was a sense of recognition, relief, and even excitement for what was next.

Randy was a Norman Rockwell painting with a dark backstory. He was a troublemaker and trickster, a gymnast and track and field star, a dirty basketball player, a consummate artist, stained glass master, thangka painter, sculptor, glass blower, and painter of rocks. He was funny and stubborn. He was a night owl who loved black cherries, vanilla Swiss almond ice cream, blues music, and the original TV series, Charmed. He was a storyteller, a scholar, a mime, and a drama queen.

He was a devoted student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and a diligent practitioner of the Buddha Dharma. He was a charismatic and charming friend, a frustrating and loving father and husband, a sometimes sweet and sometimes devious brother. He was layered and outrageous but never without a sense of humour.

He is survived by his children, Osel and Amanda, his son in law Jonathan, and the love of his life and caregiver to the end, his devoted wife Jane. He also has two remaining brothers and a sister on the west coast, Sully, Web, and Mary, many nieces and nephews, four cats, four chickens, and innumerable friends and chosen family all across the globe.

Randy was obnoxiously loveable, devilishly innocent, loving and inscrutable. The essence of his memory clings to a million moments glistening and dancing in our past, present, and future, countless seeds planted throughout interactions and friendships. Randy was nothing if not memorable and he is already missed.

We love you dad, sending triangles, safe journey.

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