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Randall John Swanson was born in Jamestown, NY on June 9, 1948, the only child of Oliver Roland and Ruth Madeline Carlson Swanson.
Randy played school football at Jefferson Junior High and Jamestown High School, usually at the position of left guard. He graduated in the Century Class of 1967, and entered the Air Force, where he served as a fuel technician in the Philippines.
Following his Vietnam-era service, Randy worked in the Jamestown area as a 911 dispatcher, an Envirogas dispatcher, and a JARTS bus driver. He moved to Belmont, NC, where he worked as a courier for Duke Power, and then spent many years delivering FedEx packages.
Randy's interests included anything about Jamestown's emergency services, particularly the Jamestown Fire Department. He was fascinated with the fire service since he was a small child, chasing fires with his dad.
Since he was a pre-teen, Randy loved auto racing, and frequently attended races at the old Jamestown Speedway, Stateline Speedway, and Eriez Speedway, but he would travel throughout western New York to catch a race. He moved to a suburb of Charlotte, NC so he could be closer to the Winston Cup Series races.
Randy made friends at school, in sports, and at work. That is evidenced by the variety of his friends from several walks of life. The many friends he has left behind will miss him, his phone calls, his texts, his advice, and the love that they all felt from him.
Randy passed away at home on July 4, 2026, and was found on July 6, 2026, making that his official date of death. Randy would have insisted on making that distinction.
Randy will be reunited with his parents in Lake View Cemetery. There will be an informal graveside service at 11:00 AM on Thursday, July 23.