BOMBER MEMORIAL

RANDY GAIL HINSON ~ Class of 1965
January 14, 1947 - November 26, 2017



Randy G. Hinson, age 70, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 26, 2017 in Redmond, OR.

Family, friends and others whose lives were touched by Randy were invited to the Prineville Funeral Home at 199 NE 10th Street in Prineville at 1pm on December 9, 2017 to celebrate his life. The family greeted friends at the reception center at Prineville Funeral home after the service.

Randy was born on January 14, 1947 in Richland to Jack and Gladys Hinson and was the oldest of six children. He was a 1965 graduate of Richland's Columbia High School.

He married Jan Goodenough ('66) on August 12, 1966 in Richland, and they later had his only child, Reanna P. Hinson DuBois ('86 honorary) .

Randy joined the Navy in 1965 and was honorably discharged in 1970.

Randy traveled the north and southwest for many years working various jobs, and doing volunteer work, such as with Wolf Haven International, which was very near and dear to his heart. It was there where he was chosen to go to Washington DC to help argue the beneficial nature of the wild wolves before lawmakers who were considering their reintroduction back into the west. Randy took great pride in his work with Wolf Haven.

Ultimately he made Prineville his home, where he retired in 2014 from the Bureau of Land Management as a Biological Science Technician.

In his early years you could rarely find Randy without a baseball glove on, as he had a great love for the sport and played it well. Not many could say that they pitched against the great “Say Hey” kid, Willie Mays, but Randy could. At 13 his team earned a trip to a baseball camp at Candlestick Park, where he struck out the Hall of Famer with his Hinson “Drop Ball”. The story goes: Willie looked at him and simply said, “Where’d that come from?” Randy continued playing baseball on various teams and with the Navy, finally hanging his glove up to move into the next season of his life. Randy spent much of his time in the great outdoors which inspired his great love for poetry and writing.

Randy continued spending time working with animals, even training Greyhounds at one point. Some called him the animal whisperer. Randy had a gentle quiet spirit that drew people to him, and when you got to know him, you discovered that he was quiet because he was a great listener, or in most cases, preparing a witty comeback. He had a giggle like no other that will forever be remembered by his friends and loved ones. It didn’t matter where Randy was on his journey, he made lifelong friends that he cherished along the way. He was an inspiration to many and will be greatly missed.

He is survived by his daughter, Reanna P. DuBois (Wayne); grandchildren: Austin G. Paxton, Emily R., Carson J. and Gabe M. DuBois; siblings: Linda (Hinson) Goold, Tom Hinson, Billy Hinson and Kris Hinson; and many nieces and nephews.

In Lieu of flowers, a donation link has been set up in his memory at Wolf Haven International https://store.wolfhaven.org/dontate.asp in the drop down you will find “IMO Randy Hinson”.

Express your thoughts and memories in the online Guest Book.

NOTE: His ex-wife, Jan Goodenow Greenough ('66), passed away on October 10, 2021.

Bomber Memorial put together by Shirley COLLINGS Haskins ('66).