Randolph Boyd Kettle

“Et tu, Brute?”

The words I cling to as you so passionately spoke them to me. I am graced to have experienced this life in your presence.

“…His life was gentle, and the elements
So mix’d in him that Nature might stand up
And say to all the world ‘This was a man!”

Karen I am so sorry to just read now of Randy’s passing. I hope that, over time, many happy memories will help to fill that empty void. Thinking of you.

I am so sorry to hear of Mr. Kettle’s passing. He was a wonderful teacher and I was fortunate enough to have him during my time at Bishops College. My grandfather (Gilbert Pike) often spoke of his father, whom he was friends with and how wonderful a family they are. My deepest condolences to the family.

I’m so sorry to hear of Mr. Kettle’s passing. He was a wonderful teacher who could keep his students engaged. He was a kind soul and I’m glad I had the opportunity to learn from him. He’s personal story is both remarkable and unsurprising, in that, he seemed to be a man of countless talents. God bless him and kindest condolences to his family.

Karen and family, so sorry to hear of Randy & your dad’s passing , thinking of you all .Randy was a wonderful man. Hugs take care.

I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Mr. Kettle. To say he had an impact on my life, in high school and beyond, would be an understatement. He put the belief in me that I could pursue anything, as long as I had a spark of passion, and then I did. He wasn’t just a great English teacher, he was an outstanding person. My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.

“Oh Captain! My Captain”

Karen, Matthew & Sarah and family,
We are saddened by the news of Uncle Randy’s passing and so very sorry for your loss. It’s heartbreaking to lose a loved one, but we hope you can take comfort in the all the memories you shared together as a family. I’ll never forget Uncle Randy’s kindness; from jars of his homemade bakeapple jam to sharing his culinary creations, or simply giving us digital copies of childhood photos that he took over the years. We have him to thank for capturing so many memories and documenting our lives through photos & videos. He will be missed dearly. We are thinking of you & sending a big hug your way.
-Alison Crocker & Jeremy Andoff

My sincere condolences to Karen, the Kettle and Crocker families.
Randy and I had some great chats about what was happening in the news anytime I was at the Crocker cabin. He taught Roslyn at Bishops and was one of her favourite teachers. He was a great teacher and kind, compassionate man.
I’m saddened to learn of his passing, way too soon. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

Karen, Sarah, Matthew and family, please accept our sincere condolences during this very difficult time. May your many happy memories bring you peace and comfort. Our thoughts are with you.
Sincerely, Bill and Elsie

To Karen and family, I am so sorry to hear news of your loss. I know you have many good memories of Randy to give you comfort and strength. You are in my thoughts at this difficult time.

Karen,
So sorry to hear about Randy’s passing. Like many others, I’m thinking of you throughout these recent days and offering sincerest condolences to you and your family.
Ellen Earles Alcock

Karen, family and friends, my sincerest condolences. I met Randy during my time a Bishops and his passing has left a void in a lot of hearts. I found him to be a gentleman and enjoyed our times together. My prayers are with you all.

Karen, So sorry to hear of Randy’s passing. Please accept my sincerest condolences.

My deepest condolences to you all.

Karen and family. So very sorry to hear of Randy’s passing. May he rest in peace.

So very sorry to hear of Randy’s passing. He was a great teacher and a wonderful colleague. Deepest condolences to his family.

Karen and family I offer my sincere and deepest sympathy on your loss! Thinking of you all during this difficult time. May God bless!

Our sincere condolences to your family..💔 thinking of you and keeping you all in our prayers.. Karen, Sarah, Matthew and Pat hold tight to the beautiful memories he gave you ! All our love
Peter and Dale Kettle

Mr. Kettle was my English teacher. He was one of a kind. I could ask him to define any word in the dictionary and without hesitation he’d recite it word for word (I would have the dictionary open just testing him, he never took offence). He always sighed at me but I knew it was his form of kindness. It’s hard to explain. He had so much kindness in him and cared deeply about all his student. Rest In Peace Mr Kettle. Ol always remember my high school years with you. My deepest condolences to the family.

I was saddened to read about Randy’s passing. I so enjoyed many conversations with him over the years. Take care Matthew, Sarah and Karen- you are in my thoughts, Ms Cathy

Seems hard to believe how the passage of time often brings such change to our lives and how brief a lifetime can be in the overall context of time. As a little boy of 10 or 11 years of age I considered my father of 50 years years of age as a somewhat old man…….He passed at away at 68 and now I guess I am somewhat of an old man at 63. As a teaching colleague of Randy’s for over 20 years, I shared numerous chats with Randy and spent much time in his company……enough to feel the right to relay my true impression of him. And, so I say I observed him to be a person who held great compassion for his fellow human beings. He was a stately man who carried himself well and a person who was a sound and stable thinker whose views and advice were well respected. But, he had another side to him which reflected a sense of humour which made him comfortable to be around. And as an educator, he was always understanding of the new technologies and always available to explain it to others who often found them hard to grasp (e.g. myself). One final observation I feel compelled to make is that I sensed in him from early on that he was “family man”. His wife and kids were the sustenance of his life…….So to his family stay strong like him and take comfort in knowing Randy lived a happy life and now is in God’s hands until you will surely meet again.

Deepest condolences to Karen and family. A good man gone to early.

Pat , Karen and family- my sincerest condolences on Randy’s passing. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this sad and difficult time. May your memories of him and a life well lived bring you comfort and peace.

Evelyn Devereaux ( Hennessy)

Sending along sincerest condolences to Karen and family, may you find comfort in the memories you shared.

To, Karen and family, Aunt Pat (his Mom), brothers Calvin, Blair, Bob and Michael

Thinking of you all at this Most difficult time. Hold onto the precious memories. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Edna and Gus

Randy was a wonderful brother, and a great man. His presence in my early life filled me with a sense of belonging, a sense of the natural world, and a sense of pride.

Throughout his youth and young adulthood he was an adventurer and an individualist. I wasn’t privy to all of his adventures but his life enriched my world beyond words. He enriched the lives of my entire family and those who knew him.

When I began at MUN he was still there, and he kept me within his world. That’s when I met Karen, (the girl to whom he would devote the rest of his life) and her fabulous family. They all adored him, and he them. I was included in that, his greatest, adventure.

He was my brother and he made that real. He was proud of me, and I of him. I’ve felt that all of my life. I’ve lost a big part of me with his passing. My wife Marjorie Nzefili loved him too. Randy and his family and the full Crocker clan embraced her. She loved “mommy Esther” and “father Ted” and they her. Randy made that happen. And Marjorie weeps with me. She understands the magnitude of what has happened.

But Randy has left me and my mother and brothers and their families with something (the only thing,) that can help fill the giant hole in our hearts and our lives–his own family. Karen, Matthew, Sarah, Bretta and Cassy.

They all had their own experiences with him, just as I did, but their love for him, my love for him, their memories and my memories will keep his memory alive. I love them all dearly. Together we will treasure and honour him. We will carry on together, each holding a piece of him.

Rest well brother. I love you.

Karen, Sarah & Matthew and families. Wishing you strength and beautiful memories as you walk through the days ahead. I remember all of the stories from Mom on the amazing food Randy made for “wild night” and when she went for Flippers & cards. Randy was clearly the pillar of an amazing family. My most sincere condolences to you all.

Randy Kettle was the first person we spoke with when we moved onto our street in 1989. We had just moved in across the street and we needed to use a telephone and Randy willingly obliged. We then realized we knew each other as colleagues in teaching; indeed, his father Nathan had hired me for my first teaching position in Port-aux-Basques in 1973! And what perfect neighbours the Kettles turned out to be since that first 1989 meeting. Always respectful of a neighbour’s privacy yet always ready with a helping hand, a bit of news or a friendly wave.
Randy and Karen kept an impeccable home and garden…so much so I would tease them on setting too high a standard for us neighbours to keep up. It was fun to watch Matthew and Sarah grow up on our street, play with their friends, fill their trick-or-treat bags on Halloween, and then watch them return on occasion later from their new lives elsewhere. We found Randy a great source of information and help as we fumbled our way through home maintenance or lawn care. Always keeping a casual but careful eye on our house when we travelled. Or just a quick inquiry into each others well-being. And how many times did he chug across the street with his snow blower to relieve our sore backs from all that snow clearing, accepting just a wave for gratitude! Quite a few of our neighbours have arrived and then left over the years, but the Kettles remained an important part of our life on the street for over 30 years.
To Karen, Matthew, Sarah, and Mrs. Kettle (Randy’s mom), and all your families, please accept our deepest condolences on your loss. We hope that it gives you some comfort and peace to know that he did life the way it was meant to be done. He was a good man.

Your neighbours,

Fred and Colleen Wood

I was lucky enough to Call Mr Kettle my English teacher at bishops 96-99. He was strict and had high expectations but was also well liked and funny. It was quite obvious that he loved his job.
Thinking of his family – so sorry for your loss. He was one of a kind. Rest peacefully Mr Kettle – go have a yarn with Mr Beauchamp.

Randy was an absolutely terrific man. To Karen and family, and to aunt Pat and family, Valerie and I are terribly sorry to hear about your lose. Please know that you are in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers.

To Sarah (and Family,) so sorry for the loss of your Dad. Sincere condolences.

Bob Kirby

Karen and family condolences so sorry to have read this another good man gone to soon.

So sad to hear of Randy’s passing. Randy was a very valuable, dependable member of our Bishops team, a man you knew that students were fortunate to have as their teacher. Thank-you, Randy, for all that you did to help our students reach their potential and become good people. Your memory will live on in their hearts and minds. Condolences to your family and friends.

My deepest condolences to his family. Randy use to come to our home all the time He was a great friend to myself and my brother. I will always remember the time he hold me down so my brother could make believe they were going to cut my nails. They knew my nails were everything. I have so many wonderful memories of Randy from my childhood
Jane Tremblay (cornish)

So sorry to hear about Mr. Kettle’s passing. We knew him when we went to school at Bishop’s College, all those years ago. He was a great teacher. Our sincerest condolences to his wife, children and to the rest of his family. Rest in peace Mr. K.
Sincerely, Sandra (Fry) Ford, Jeff Fry and their families.

I was so sad to hear of Randy’s passing. I completed my teaching internship at Bishops in 2008 and subbed there for a few years after. Randy was very much respected by his students…and he didn’t always have the easiest students to build a relationship with. He was kind. He was patient. When I go to work tomorrow, after a long week, I’m going to think of Randy and have a bit more patience with my students.

Mr. Kettle was an incredible teacher, and I often still speak of him 20+ years later. Always kind and patient. Very sorry to hear of his passing, condolences to the family.

So very sorry to hear of Randy’s passing. He was a great treacher and a wonderful colleague. Deepest condolences to his family.

There are no words I can offer to ease this unimaginable pain. Randy was a true gentleman in every sense of the word. He was strong and formidable while being gentle and kind. Although he was technically my “uncle “ I think of him as a friend. May the many precious memories and the love of family and friends help you through these sad and difficult days. Much love and sadness, Deb and Lou

Mr. kettle was a wonderful teacher. Always kind, always patient and always always with the right words. Though I haven’t seen him since graduation, I have often thought of him, how truly kind he was and how much he cared about his students successes. I hope his family knows he gave alot of students courage and gave them confidence. And he has always been remembered by so many of us. Rest easy Sir, we’ll all try to bring it down……. “Just a notch.”.
Vicki Stokes Class of 1990

I am so saddened at the news of Randy’s passing. We were childhood friends growing up in Port-aux-Basques, partridge hunting trout fishing and hiking. We were classmates through our school years and he was an awesome classmate. He was a super teacher to my son at Bishops College. We shared our time together at Memorial University and had many laughs together. We haven’t seen much of each other over the past few years but I will always consider him one of my best friends. He will be truly missed. My condolences to the family and friends.

Mr. Kettle was an absolutely wonderful teacher, and a lovely person. Condolences to his family, I’m sure he will be remembered fondly by all of his former students.

I was lucky to work with Randy at Bishops College in the 2006-2007 school year. I was a young teacher and he did so much to make me feel welcome and part of a team. He always had great patience with students and this really resonated with me. I jokingly encouraged him to start a radio show in retirement as he had a radio voice for the ages! Great man. Condolences to his family. .

Mr. Kettle was a great teacher. My condolences to his family.

Deepest condolences for your loss. Randy was a wonderful colleague at Bishops College..

So sorry to hear of Randy’s passing .
We worked together at marine Atlantic in our younger yrs,went salmon fishing quite a few times together until he left for university.

So sad to learn of Randy’s passing, deepest condolences to Karen, Sarah, Matthew and all of his extended family. I feel blessed to have known Randy as a colleague and friend at Bishops for 28 years. We had many a heartfelt chat and often shared a story or joke between classes or in the staffroom.. His memory will live on in our hearts. RIP my friend.

I am so sorry to hear. Know my thoughts and prayers are with you all. 😥😥🤗🤗🙏🙏

I want you to know, Calvin and Family Members, that you are very much in my thoughts at present. God bless. Jim