Obituaries

 

Randy Lee Pieper

PORTAGE – Randy L.  Piper, age 75, of Portage, passed away on Thursday, October 8, 2020, with family by his side, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, after an extended illness.

Randy was born on January 20, 1945, in Portage, WI, the only child of Leo and June (Bolgrihn) Pieper. He attended Portage Schools and graduated in 1963. After high school, Randy began working as a mail carrier for the US Post Office in Portage. He married Sally Taylor and had a daughter, Julie. They divorced and Randy was drafted into the US Navy where he served as an electrical technician on the U. S. S. Midway Carrier, one of his fondest memories, from 1969 to 1974. It was while he was in the Navy that he met Chris Delgado, the love of his life. They only knew each other six months and were married on June 19, 1971. Randy proudly served his country during the Vietnam War. When he returned home, they had two children, Amy (Cole) and Nathan. They were married for 37 years until the passing of Chris. Randy was a mail carrier for 34 years. He was a member of the Elks Lodge B.P.O.E. #675 and Exalted Ruler from 1984-1985. He greatly enjoyed spending time with his friends as well as hunting, fishing and trapping.

He is survived by his daughters, Amy (R.J.) Cole of Portage and Julie (Dan) Osborne of Grand Marsh; grandchildren, Taylor, Jaden and Sawyer Cole, Brandon (Jennifer) Prew and Daniel Prew; great-grandchildren, Brecker and Maverick, Autumn, Alyssa, Paige and Breanna; brothers, Tom (Gail) Brown of Portage and Jerry (Pam) Brown of Madison; cousins, other relatives and many friends, including his special friend, Lorraine “Snooks” Kusrow of Endeavor. He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Nathan; wife, Chris; and his in-laws, Erick and Mary Delgado.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Portage on Saturday, October 17, 2020, at 11:00 a.m., with Fr. Gary Krahenbuhl presiding. Burial will follow at St. Mary Cemetery in Portage. Military Honors will be provided by the Portage Area Veterans Honor Guard. Visitation will be held at Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Home in Portage on Friday, October 16, 2020, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. with an Elks Service of Remembrance at 5:00 p.m. Social distancing will be observed at the funeral home with a limit of 50 people attending at one time. Masks will be required and, if necessary, provided. Visitation will also be held at the church from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service.

A special thank you to all of the many medical professionals including doctors, nurses, and CNAs who provided him care in the last two months.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established.

Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Home in Portage is assisting the family.

Obituaries
For information please call 608 742-2126 (Portage, WI) or 608 635-2763 (Poynette, WI)