Rand Stewart

Rand was born ten days late in Portland, Oregon on April 13, 1946, weighing in at 9 lbs, 13.5 oz. He was the son of Frank and Dorothy Stewart. He grew up with his younger brother and best friend, Scott. Rand had an entrepenurial spirit from a young age, starting with his bicycle paper route in the Lake Grove area. One summer in his teens his father had him wash chemical barrels which instilled in him a desire to further his education. At Oregon State University, he joined Delta Tau Delta fraternity and worked part-time at the Gamma Phi sorority house washing dishes and providing (so he said) advice to the girls. He drove an old Model A Chrysler, technically in good repair if one excluded a 24-inch hole on the passenger side where the road was visible. He was drafted into the army and then was accepted into the honor guard. His father was fortunate to be invited to the White House and was able to see Rand there. Rand was stationed at the door of Robert Kennedy’s funeral. Reporter Mike Wallace noticed him and commented on his stance. The cameras zoomed in on him and his mother’s phone rang off the hook with friends saying they’d seen Rand on TV. After the war was over, he returned to Portland, went to Portland State University and bought a bar with two friends. His sandwiches were great but the profits, not so much. He finished college, married Cheryl Smith and they began their family. Eventually they bought a home in Eastmoreland across the street from Duniway, the school their two daughters and three sons attended. After divorce, he worked hard to raise his children as a single father, sometimes holding down several jobs at once. Thankfully he had his mother and eldest child to help. Through it all he never lost his sense of humor and love of life. Eventually, he met Sandra Shook and after thirteen years of courship they finally married. Sandi had two daughters of her own so Rand gained two kids, Sandi gained five. Sandi, an avid gardner completely transformed the family yard and Rand, a talented carpenter, spent hours in his well-appointed and somewhat organized wood shop making shelving, gates, decks and other nice additions for the home. Having grown up on Oswego Lake he was determined to have a lap pool in the backyard. No stranger to hard work, he decided to put in the pool and deck himself. Three years and two fallen decks later, it was complete and became just what he envisioned – a place where he could (ocassionally) swim laps and his children and grandchildren could play. Rand loved to entertain. At his famous Fourth of July parties everyone was welcomed with open arms and treated to his famous BBQ flank steak (which turned vegetarians into meat eaters) and home-made ice cream with raspberries and marionberries lovingly grown in the yard. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners were full-day affairs where his mottos were “The more the merrier” and “Come by anytime”. He was the master of roasting the turkey and making a wicked stuffing. Well, except that one year that someone inadvertently turned the oven off. He was a storyteller and wordsmith who enjoyed exaggerating the details for comedic effect and loved a good turn of phrase. He’s best remembered by the classic “I need to see a man about a horse” although there are many, many more. Rand was quite the athlete, it was hard to find a sport that he wan’t the master of or had a master opinion of. Over the years he played every sport known to man including rugby, volleyball, tennis, softball and racquetball to name a few. He and Sandi were big fans and season ticket holders to the Portland Trailblazers. A lot of hard work in the refrigerated trailer business resulted in the purchase of an established business and the formation of Transportation Refrigeration Company in December of 2000, which over the years became a family company where nearly every Stewart had the opportunity to work. The welfare of his children was a principal goal of his life. Many of their friends considered him a father figure. His wife has been a deep and sincerely loved part of his life for over 30 years. Rand is survived by his wife Sandi (whom he always refered to as his bride), mother Dorothy, brother Scott, step brothers Pat and Kevin, children Jeni, Todd, Lisa, Michalyn, Frank, Nicole and Jeffrey and 13 grandchildren. He was loved by many and will be missed by all family and so very many friends. Service Information