Date of Birth
Feb 24,1956
Date of Death
Sep 06,2015
RANDY W. LITTLE, age 59, of Maple Park, passed away peacefully, surrounded by the love and prayers of his family after a long and courageous battle with cancer, on Saturday, September 5, 2015. Though the fight would claim his body, it never broke his spirit and Randy is now at rest in Heaven.
He was born February 24, 1956, in Sterling, IL, the son of Randal and Shirley (Trego) Little.
Randy grew up in the Warrenville and West Chicago areas and attended local schools. He began his working career at Swift in St. Charles. Even after the name changed to Armour-Eckrich, Randy continued his tenure for over 40 years until his declining health brought him home into the care of his family.
Although Randy was a dedicated union man at work, eventually becoming a Negotiator and Chief Steward, nothing could compare to the dedication and love he had for Julie McAdams, whom he met at work. Their relationship began in 1979 but bloomed into marriage on May 25, 1985.
They began their new life together in Maple Park and eventually welcomed their daughter Mackeinze, who made their family complete. Many years and a million memories were to follow and filled their home with the warmth of love and laughter.
Randy was a proud member of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union for many years and although they never had a formal name, his “bags group” played weekly and traveled far and wide to compete in tournaments.
Randy and Julie had a fun life together, but it never compared to life with their daughter. Mackeinze was the apple of his eye and she could do no wrong (even if it was putting his hair in pigtails)! His family was as close as a family could be, especially his brother-in-law Joe Heyob, who was the perfect partner for bags and to cheer on their beloved Chicago Bears. When it came to baseball, Randy and Joe couldn’t have been more at odds. Randy loved his Chicago Cubs and never let an opportunity pass to poke fun at Joe’s White Sox. The loss of Joe hit Randy hard, but the void was partially filled by his “bag buddies” who stood by his side even when he was too ill to throw. Randy loved the outdoors and enjoyed camping as a family. His favorite destination was Platteville, WI, so he could be close to the Chicago Bears training camp. If you ever had to go anywhere, you could find no better “co-pilot” than Randy. He was at ease on the road, whether it was long weekends or long trips across the country, sometimes even without a destination. At Christmas time, Randy would drive any distance to see the best light display of the season and was a master at cutting down the annual Christmas tree in Oregon, IL. Hours upon hours were spent finding just the perfect one….even if it meant missing football on T.V. Randy’s hands were always working, even into the last days, creating master pieces out of wood. Whether it was a trellis, a bird house or the biggest best tree house you have ever seen, complete with additions built for his grandson Nolan, each creation was uniquely his. Nolan, who became his “right hand man” in the workshop, loved to be with his “papa” in the shop and to learn from the “master”. Randy was never happier than when his grandson was by his side, especially when he helped to finish projects before Randy became too ill to continue. Randy may be gone, but the legacy he leaves will never be forgotten.
He is survived by his loving wife of 30 years, Julie Little; His daughter Mackeinze and her son Nolan; His father-in-law, Lloyd McAdams, a sister-in-law, Cindy Heyob, one brother-in-law, Steve (Amy) McAdams, many nieces, nephews and a community of close friends.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Randal and Shirley; one sister, Kathy Ramirez; His mother-in-law, Dorothy McAdams, and brother-in-law, Joe Heyob.
The family will host a celebration of Randy’s life at Bootlegger’s at 107 Main St., Maple Park, on Saturday, September 12, from 5-8 p.m. Private family burial will follow cremation at a later date.
The family wishes to extend their most heartfelt thanks to their family, friends and community for the unwavering support since Randy’s battle began. That support allowed the family to keep Randy in the comfort of his home and they will forever be grateful for that opportunity and therefor are not asking for any contributions. Arrangements were handled with care by Conley Funeral Home, Elburn.
The family will host a celebration of Randy’s life at Bootlegger’s at 107 Main St., Maple Park, on Saturday, September 12, from 5-8 p.m. Private family burial will follow cremation at a later date.