Contributions to the tribute of Martin Randall

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Wednesday, April 15, 2020

A Celebration of the life of Martin Roger Randall, 1945 - 2020 A family celebration, 15th April 2020 We are gathered here today to remember Martin Randall on the day of his cremation in New York City. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 virus pandemic, none of his family or friends can be present at his cremation or interment. Martin touched the lives of all of his family, extended family and friends. We are very thankful for Martin’s life and for having the privilege of knowing him. Let us take a moment in silence to remember Martin. -__________________________________________________________________________________ Some words from the family present: We are gathered here to give thanks for the life of Martin – you went away so young that we really didn’t know you fully. I am sorry now that I wasn’t a better friend to you although I did love you and looked forward to talking to you. God bless you – and keep you in his loving arms. Jen Martin was true to himself and did what he needed to do in life. This included emigrating from the UK to the USA, and settling in NYC and joining the gay community there. This was Martin’s life’s journey. Martin was a brave and determined person who was not afraid of the unknown and striking out for a life that suited him, to be among like-minded people. There are lessons that can learned from Martin’s life. I shall remember your intelligent humour and your deep interest and concern for the extended family. You were kind to me and delighted in treating me to the finer things that NYC had to offer. I will miss you, Martin, I am glad I knew you and am grateful for this privilege. Amanda I remember Martin as a person who although he spent the majority of his life abroad in New York, never forgot his essential British characteristics of humour and self-deprecation. I remember his clipped English accent and distinct pattern of speech that made him instantly identifiable on the phone. We shared an interest in the theatre and performance and had some interesting conversations when “I’d like to speak to My……….Sister…do you know where My………Sister….is?” was not here. In my last conversation with Martin he spoke about being gay and about how he could be involved with the community in New York in a way the English establishment (at the time he left) would not have tolerated. I think he was right to live by his principles and go away to somewhere he could be accepted for who he was, even though this did make it harder for both himself and the family who loved him. Martin was a brave and determined man. Stewart We are very lucky to have such wonderful, intelligent and talented people in our family who lead exciting lives and I am very proud of that. Fran ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬-__________________________________________________________________________________ Life is very precious. We are thankful for Martin’s life and that he lived it to the full on his chosen path. Martin was loved by friends and family and will be missed. Martin’s spirit will live on and his memory will always be with us. End

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Amanda Lewis uploaded photo(s)

Monday, April 13, 2020

Memories of Martin Although Martin lived in New York and I live in Norfolk, UK, Martin was always very pleased to get together if the opportunity arose, and the last time I saw Martin was in the summer of 2013 when we met for a meal, together with Graham and Gina, at an Italian restaurant in Manhattan. When I was about 18, around 1978, I went on a trip to the States and Martin arranged for me to stay in a swanky apartment in New York for a couple of nights, the home of an Irish prime minister’s daughter, on 5th Avenue overlooking Central Park. I probably didn’t appreciate it as much as I should, I was too young! If I remember correctly, he took me to see Swan Lake at the Lincoln Centre. Martin also introduced me to an American ‘brunch’ and I think I had eggs benedict and a bloody Mary, this would have been the same trip I guess! I think I said I didn’t normally drink in the morning, or much at all, and then ‘what the hell, I’ll go for it!’. Martin loved to talk on the phone and up until a few years ago he would call me for a long talk at regular intervals. As Mum often stays with us, he would quite frequently be wanting to track her down to speak to, and if she wasn’t with us, we would still end up on the phone for a good hour! With his incisive mind and dry sense of humour, Martin would like nothing more than to joke about current topics including politics, society and tennis. We shared a love of tennis, although Martin had more time to watch than I did, and would be very keen to discuss the tournaments and the players. I sent him a couple of Wimbledon tournament programmes, which are quite thick with lots of information in them, because he liked to see the player profiles and statistics. We didn’t agree on who our favourite players were, I think Federer was one of his all time favourites, but that didn’t stop us! Martin never got to grips with the internet fully but kept up to date with what was going on through the papers and tv. I think he loved a bit of juicy gossip! I regret not talking to him more about his days in the orchestra or learning more about NY and the gay scene in the ‘70s, ‘80s and so on, but we didn’t ever talk directly about the latter. That’s my fault, and loss! The Aids epidemic and its impact must have been so huge in Martin’s life but he never mentioned it once to me. I feel that it is my shortcoming that I never asked and I am sorry about that. I think Martin’s fighting spirit and sparkle, although unique to him, is shared within our family and will be remembered by me as the essence of him. Amanda Lewis (Martin's niece)

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Amanda Lewis uploaded photo(s)

Monday, April 13, 2020

Memories of Martin Martin was born when I was 8 years old so he was literally my baby brother, and I took a share in looking after him when Mum was busy. Martin was an easy, happy child, always smiling and very attractive. When he was very small we lived in Hayes, Kent. I used to take him, in his pushchair, to do grocery shopping in West Wickham every Saturday. I would inevitably spend some of my pocket money on sweets for Martin! We moved to Beckenham when he was 3 and I was 11 year old. My younger brother Trevor was 9 and attended a local Prep School. I was at Bromley High School, so I had longer days out of the home. Martin attended a local school from the age of 5 until he was 11. There was an occasion when Martin played truant while our parents were away and my fiancée Laurie chased him down the road to catch him, and I then took him back to school! Trevor and I enjoyed hearing Martin play with the Philharmonic in London. He used to invite us backstage to meet the other musicians, which was fun. In later years I visited him in New York whenever I went to the United States, staying a couple of nights. Martin would take me out for a meal and to the theatre or the ballet. We also enjoyed a trip on a boat around Manhattan one time, and he provided a delicious picnic lunch, it was a lovely day. Martin also introduced me to the traditional American diner for amazing breakfasts. The most recent visit I made was in December 2018 by which time he was fairly disabled, partly blind, nearly deaf and with hip and ankle problems. He asked me to arrange a lunch for his friends Graham, Bob, Patrick and myself. He organised the food, individual shepherd pies from Molly’s, his local, which Graham helped me to collect. Martin was really glad to show off his new flat and entertain his closest friends. We all had a really happy afternoon. I am so glad I had the opportunity to do that for him. I shall sorely miss his weekly phone calls and his ironic laughter! God Bless. Jen

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Love, Jen and Amanda xx planted a tree in memory of Martin Randall

Monday, April 13, 2020

In memory of Martin, dear brother and uncle. Join in honoring their life - plant a memorial tree

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stuartpenn@inbox.com posted a condolence

Sunday, April 12, 2020

My Uncle Martin was a difficult person to get to know and understand. He kept himself to himself and NY, NY. What happened in his life and how he really lived it in his former years I’ll never know and I wish I had. He was referred to as the Black Sheep of the family and if that means “not conforming to the de-facto standard" then that described Martin perfectly. He was an Artist in his own right - busy re-writing the book on behavioral expectations in a silent way. He had visions beyond reality in terms of his involvement in and love for Classical music and the arts in general. He did not and could not appreciate ordinary folk in his younger years which is probably why I never knew him so well. I remember him taking me to Alice In Wonderland when I was 5 years old when he awoke from his normal sleeping pattern of getting up about 1:00PM and was temporarily staying with Grandma and Grandpa; and after Grandma had stated that it might be nice. The Red Mini we got into was totally Martin and he fit his large double bass into the back of it, albeit a very small car. Afterwards I would not see him for many a year or so it seemed. Grandpa often spoke about Martin in a disapproving way, yet he would compare himself constantly to him - which I found interesting. Grandpa would sit in his favorite chair by the fireplace and smoke his cigar and I could tell that many thoughts were passing through his head about Martin and that what he told me was only a portion of this. Perhaps Grandpa could see himself in Martin as an artistic and creative person himself. I heard a song come out by Lou Reed called “Take A Walk on the Wild Side” and I had to wonder if he might have influenced that song - written about New York life style in the early Seventies as many of you reading this are well aware. At 17, I then travelled to New York to see Dad in Ohio and met Uncle Martin at Grand Central for an overnight pass-through stay. He was running slightly late, but he showed a lot of concern and took me to a strange little restaurant where we ate at what would have been 12:00AM midnight my time - I was not really hungry, but it was a kind gesture. He drove a Taxi at that time and saw his picture posted on the front Dash and I thought boy, he is a real New Yorker then and thought of many a song from Billy Joel. Later on in my early 20’s I lived through a traumatic experience for all involved in it. Martin kept in constant contact throughout this event and was must have consumed many an hour putting all the pieces together to get the full picture of what happened. He would have made for a good detective - a lost opportunity perhaps. He continued this pattern of deep investigations in to the truths of each significant family mishap from that point onward as almost a second career - perhaps to better understand life itself and all of its challenges. This investigative behavior was out of both concern and perhaps to make up for a gap in his life that must have existed for many a year. I admit that I kept my distance from Martin because of the intensity of his dedicated concern - yet he was just a very passionate person whom, in his own way, loved and cared for his family and extended family. For this reason and for the new dimension of life that he brought to the table I will miss his presence in this world.

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The family of Martin Randall uploaded a photo

Friday, April 10, 2020

In loving memory of

Martin

1944 - 2020

Plant a tree in memory of Martin