October 21, 1943 - July 1, 2024
Phyllis Randle lost her courageous battle with terminal bone cancer on Canada Day. A proud Canadian; for 80 years she epitomized the strength, passion, loyalty and all that is outstanding about this great country. Phyllis constantly inspired hope and encouragement, making the world a better place, one person at a time.
Born to pioneer parents Charlie and Sophie Brandt in the frontier town of Fort St John, Phyllis was blessed with a gift of intelligence, easily mastering all educational challenges. With a natural affinity of caring for others, she followed her dream in becoming a nurse, completing Registered Nurses training at Vancouver General Hospital. Later in life she went on to complete a Bachelor of Nursing in Science from UBC. While working at the Fort St John hospital Phyllis met and married the love of her life, Constable Jack Randle of the RCMP. Obtaining her Public Health certification while working full time, she was instrumental in helping to set up the Home Care Program in the province of BC, working over 30 years in the field of Public Health. At the end of her career, Phyllis thoroughly enjoyed teaching nursing at the University of the Fraser Valley in Chilliwack.
Always concerned for the greater good of humanity, in 2004 Phyllis volunteered to attend a tsunami natural disaster with a first responder Canadian medical team, after the Sumatra Earthquake in Indonesia. As nurse practitioner she attended the injured amongst an array of bodies, destruction and mayhap never seen before. Six year later with Food for the Hungry Canada, she again volunteered her medical services in poverty-stricken Haiti, after devastation from an earthquake. She worked in Child Hope, an impoverished orphanage in Port-au-Prince that had been deluged with injured quake survivors. Phyllis acted with fierce determination and relentless courage, setting the course for all those around her to follow the trailblazing path she initiated. A true leader of the 21st century living global awareness.
Looking for a challenge, Phyllis and Jack made a career change when Jack retired from the RCMP. They owned and operated a motel, in the small community of Hope for a period of 27 years. To employ creative skills in her spare time, she designed and built a magnificent Westcoast home on Thacker Mountain in Hope. Phyllis enjoyed reading, gardening, cherished times with friends and family and never ceased to love the journey of learning. Travelling extensively throughout the world by land excursion and cruising they considered themselves blessed to be able to do so. In 2021 Phyllis and Jack decided to make a quiet move to the community of Parksville on Vancouver Island. Here she fell in love with the island, the sea and all the tranquility it holds.
We bid farewell to a most capable and caring woman, whose feisty spirit defines her and lives on through all who were fortunate to know her. She leaves to mourn her loving husband Jack of 58 years, youngest sister Jeannette MacKay (Neil), nieces and nephews Janeil MacKay (Chris Gear), Dana Dunne (Keith), Kevin Maichen (Trudy), Karl Maichen (Sheila), Sheri Rogers, sister in law Helen Randle, many cousins, great nephews and nieces. Phyllis was predeceased by her parents, Sophie and Charlie Brandt, oldest sister Louise Maichen (Hans) and brother Wayne Brandt.
In our lives she will be the voice whispering encouragement in times of doubt. She will be the strong hand on our back when we stumble and the warmth we feel in our hearts when we remember her strength and celebrate her life.