WALLACE EUGENE RANDALL

Wallace Eugene Randall, 82, of Eagle River, died Sept. 16, 2002, at Providence Hospital in Anchorage after a long illness.

A funeral service will be held Saturday, Sept. 21, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Alpenglow Chapel in Eagle River at 19701 Driftwood Bay Drive. A public visitation will be held from noon to 1 p.m., with the funeral following.

Mr. Randall was born Feb. 3, 1920, in Atwood, Ill., and raised in Sullivan, Ind. He was a graduate of Gershmeyer Tech High School in Terre Haute, Ind.

In 1942 he married Mary Horrell.

Mr. Randall was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and had worked in Indiana, Colorado, Utah, Washington and Alaska in the early 1950s before moving to Alaska permanently in 1958. He was an electrical inspector for the Municipality of Anchorage and taught at IBEW's electrical apprenticeship school. He retired in 1982 and moved to Arkansas. He returned to Alaska in 1999.

Mr. Randall was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. His interests included traveling, reading, singing, playing the piano and spending time with his wife, Mary, his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and his dog, Sweet Pea.

His family remembers, "Fellow IBEW workers called him 'the walking code book.' He had worked on many important projects in the state, including Amchitka, the Dew Line and Alyeska Pipeline. He had a beautiful Irish tenor voice and sang with the Anchorage Community Chorus in the 1950s and '60s, in Barbershop Quartets in Washington, with the Sons Of Norway and for weddings, funerals, holidays and his church. On Sept. 4, he sang with the Frozen Pipes and Jewels of the North Barber Shop Quartets for his 60th wedding anniversary at the Mary Conrad Center. They made him an honorary member. Although his body was frail, his voice was angelic."

Mr. Wallace is survived by his wife, Mary Randall; daughters and sons-in-law Mary Constance and Gilbert Chambers of Eagle River, Jennifer and Fernando Caceres of Camano Island, Wash., Tara and Robert Rayner of Fairbanks, and by sons and daughters-in-law, Gregory Randall, Mark and Peggy Randall, Scott and Tara Randall, Kirk and Sheila Randall of Eagle River. He is also survived by his sisters and brothers-in-law, Mary Carey of Aurora, Ill., Theresa and Pat Ramsey of Indianapolis, Ind., and Julia and Mel Simmons of Evansville, Ind.; and by 29 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.

Mr. Wallace was preceded in death by his son, Brent Randall, his mother Cynthia Carey, his father Clarence Randall and by his stepfather Jacob Carey.

Memorial donations may be made to the Mary Conrad Center Activity Fund, 9100 Centennial Drive, Anchorage, AK 99504.