Jack Randall

Jack Lee Randall was born in Joplin, Missouri on June 4, 1935 to Paul (Papa) and Anna Mae Randall. He passed away peacefully in his sleep on September 23, 2025.

Jack lived a remarkably healthy life for over ninety years. Despite being born inmthe middle of the depression, his childhood was filled with love and the riches of the Ozarks. He and his Dad fished the local lakes and ponds, they hunted rabbit and squirrel, deer and turkey, they walked the river banks and floated down stream in intertubes, fishing poles in hand. Jack and Paul flushed out the quail in grassy fields and planned big trips to Western Kansas to hunt pheasant. 

If times were hard, Jack never noticed as his childhood was idyllic for a young outdoorsman.

In 1954 Jack graduated from Joplin Senior High School. As a senior, he proudly joined the 35th Division, 203rd Division of the National Guard (known as “The Houn’ Dawg Regiment.) Jack continued serving the National Guard for the next thirty years. He retired in 1984 as Sergeant 1st Class, E7. 

During his service, among working ice storms, snow storms, train wrecks, riots and fires, he provided close-up security for Presidential Candidate John F Kennedy when he came to Joplin to campaign, and in 1968 they provided security in the Kansas City Riots near gunfire when Troost was burning at 32nd Street.

In 1956 Jack attended Molar Barber College in Kansas City, Missouri, completed two apprenticeships, one at the Santa Fe Bus Terminal Barbershop and the other at the Jasper County Courthouse Barbershop. Soon after, Jack and his dear friend Benny Baily, a professional shoeshiner, went to work together at The Connor Hotel Barbershop. Bennie and Jack worked together for many years after, forming a lifelong friendship until Bennie’s death.

Jack opened his own business in 1961. Jack’s Barbershop was located at 2318 Main Street and operated for 50 years. The gang at Jack’s was quite a colorful group offriends who loved to laugh and tell stories. As they got older and retired, they came in more frequently until going to the barbershop became a daily routine for many men.

Jack would cut hair and somehow masterfully conduct (mostly) friendly conversations about local and national politics, hunting and fishing, football and baseball and of course, their wives. NPR Radio once did a national broadcast from Jack’s Barbershop, interviewing Jack and the barbershop gang. It really was a perfect slice of American life every day at Jack’s.

On May 22, 2011 the most powerful F5 tornado in history leveled Jack’s Barbershop and broke his heart. It took him a year to get bored at home so back to work he went in 2012 at the age of 78. For the next two years he worked at Vi’s Barbershop and challenged himself to learn a new way of doing things. It was remarkable. 

At the age of 80, he went to work at College View Manor Retirement Home. He worked as their barber for three years. At 83 years old, he officially (and with reservation) retired.

Jack was proud of his part-time service to local law enforcement. He worked as a Joplin City Reserve Officer from 1958-1968 and as Reserve Jasper County Deputy Sheriff from 1968-1973.

On two different occasions, Jack was presented with the Conspicuous Medal of Honor from the State of Missouri: the early award for rescuing and saving two small children from a burning car with no regard for his own safety; and the later award for extracting a civilian from an auto accident in Fort Beauregard, Louisiana and for giving life-saving medical attention to the victim.

In 1982, Jack married Shirley Randall. Theirs was a loving and devoted marriage from beginning to end. They had a blended family of five children; Jack’s three daughters Rhonda, Roanna and Kristina and Shirley’s son Matt and daughter Angela.

Jack’s wife Shirley and their five children (and grandchildren) were his pride and joy. Kind, compassionate, generous and particular are the first words that might come to mind to describe Jack. There was a right way and a wrong way to do things. Full stop. Doing things the right way (the Jack-Randall-way) meant the most productive, the neatest, the cleanest, the most thorough, the most thoughtful way, done with kindness and respect, with humbleness, and precision. Checking your work twice wasn’t the goal, it was the standard.Jack was a perfectionist, he was loyal, he was on time and he was endlessly forgiving. He loved his family and it was our honor to love him right back. 

Jack’s children adored him and leaned on him throughout life when they need a shoulder, a hand, shovels, tree clippers, battery chargers, rides and advice. He always gave the most solid advice. Jack Randall might be the most decent, good man we ever knew.

He is survived by his Wife, Shirley Randall of the family home, Children: Rhonda and Todd Camerer, Loma Linda, Roanna and Steve Dowell, Joplin, Kristina and Joshua Duringer, Lawrence Kansas, Matthew and Emily Horner, Webb City,

Grandchildren: Hunter Dowell and Scott Duell, Saint Louis, Ana Sokolenko, Boulder Colorado, Julia and Juan Montejo, Lawrence, Kansas, Lydia Sokolendo, Shawnee, Kansas, Justin Henry, Joplin, Sarah Henry, Joplin, Matt Horner, Webb City, Jack Horner, Webb City, Olivia Wacker, Neosho; having four great grandchildren, Paisley, Peyton, Able and Matthew.

Preceding him in death, his parents Paul and Anna Mae Randall, His sister JoAnn Randall, his daughter Angela Wacker and his Grandson, Michael Fischer Dowell.

Friends and family are invited to celebrate Jack’s beautiful life at a graveside gathering on Friday, October 3rd at 11:00 am, Ozark Memorial Cemetery, Joplin,Missouri. (south side of cemetery)