Obituary of Randolph Allen Grove

Randolph Allen Grove passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, January 3rd in Issaquah, Washington. The second of four siblings, Randy grew up on a farm outside of Toledo, Washington with the help of his grandmother Inez Grove. After graduating high school, Randy enlisted in the Marine Corps towards the end of the US conflict in Vietnam. During his time in the Marines, he traveled extensively for his service, became a crew chief on a “Huey” helicopter, and made some life long friendships. He was married to his first wife Melissa Hunziker during this time. After being honorably discharged the two had Randy’s first son Seth Grove of Easton on November 6th, 1977. The two would part ways, but remained friends, and he pursued work in the door industry where he would meet his second wife Debra Fulford while working for her father Lloyd who owned Door Distributors, a regional door company. They would have two children together, Phillip (40) and Kelly (36), and build a home on the east side of Lake Sammamish. Phillip and Kelly attended Eastlake High School, where Randy was always excited to be a part of sports and after school activities. Randy and Deb eventually parted ways, and he spent some years working at the Port of New Orleans. He came to return to Issaquah, where he was known by many for his outgoing personality as he would travel across town each day. He eventually succumbed to some long standing health problems, but not before making an impact on all who knew him. He is survived by his three children, and three amazing granddaughters Emma, Dixie and Hadley raised by their loving parents Seth and Amy. Services will be held at Mount Tahoma National Cemetery on Friday, March 15th at 10 am. In lieu of flowers, Please join the family at Kent-Commons Community Center following the Military Honors for lunch and celebration of Randy's life. 525-4th Ave N Kent, WA. The family asks that you make a small donation to the veterans charity of your choosing.

Adventures With Your Dad

We had planned a honeymoon at Rosario Resort on Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands, taking our outboard boat. After a most of the day drive and ferry boat crossing it was just about beer time for the drive from the ferry landing to the resort. The road twisted in and out of the little island harbors and up some hills to the resort. Our 1970’s trailer with the small wheels took a corner and bounced off the narrow road causing a flat. We were almost to the resort, so decided to limp along as we were past any service stations and it was a Sunday late afternoon. Coming into the resort, about a mile long entrance was newly asphalted.  We didn’t realize the wheel rim and left a line in the asphalt all the way into the resort. Thinking we would launch the boat, so we could park the trailer, we backed down along the boat ramp. It was low tide, and when Randy tried to drive the car and trailer up off the ramp, he discovered the car was low enough on gas that it wouldn’t start at that angle. (no fuel injection then) We would not be able to go the night without waking up to the car underwater. Randy then had to disturb the Harbor Master at home for the evening to ask for some gas. The HM was not pleased to see the line in the new asphalt that led to our car. We spent a few days boating to the other islands to get the tire replaced or repaired.