"Will miss Randy; have known him since he and Jack were little guys. Pat Rubrake Heinbaugh"
In loving memory of
Randy G. Branning
August 6, 1951 - May 15, 2018
Randy "RB" Branning of Columbia City, passed away peacefully at the young age of 66, on May 15, 2018 at 2:01 pm, surrounded by his 3 daughters and a few close family friends. He was born on August 6, 1951 in Warsaw to Elmer and June (Gebert) Branning of Larwill.
RB grew up in Larwill and loved to go fishing, deer hunting, mushroom hunting and helping out on the family farm. He was a member of the last graduating class of Larwill High School in 1969. He was a member of the basketball and baseball teams where he earned his varsity letters.
RB was a devoted and loving father and grandfather who loved spending time outdoors, playing sports and teaching each one of his girls a different set of unique skills. He also enjoyed playing cards, boating, water skiing, traveling, fishing, hunting, camping, bowling, gardening, spending time with his family,and catching up with friends over a few drinks. One of the many fond memories the girls have with their Dad is the time they spent on the river banks in Southern Michigan salmon fishing.
He loved spending time with his daughters and working with them to instill his knowledge and talents to help them enrich their lives, just like he had in his life. He owned and operated Branning Construction for over 20 years. After downsizing he continued to do small repairs and remodeling jobs for the remainder of his career, before finally retiring in early 2018.
RB was an established member of the VFW, of the Eagles #1906, and beginning in 1997, RB held the office of CFO for a group of misfits that were appropriately deemed,"THE LOSERS CLUB". Additional founding members included, Gary Copeland as CEO, Steve Eckert as VP of operations, Julie Copeland as COM, and PIA's included, Mike Richardson, Jon Shew, Rick Shew, Rick Sexton, Brad Gibson, Brian Lysaght, and Jerry "Mad Max" Veilhauer.
Survivors include, Angela (William "Boo") Kendall of Columbia City, Heidi (Timothy) Cmar of South Whitley, Amanda (Jeremiah) Johnston-Branning of Columbia City, 10 grandchildren; Jacob, Jordan, Emma, Connor, Christian, DJ, Ashley, Justin, Katelynn and Nathan, and expecting his 1st great grandchild this June. He was preceded in death by both parents and his older brother, Jack Branning.
Randy's final request was to not have any formal services. The family will privately lay him to rest with his parents and brother. The family will be holding a "Life Celebration for RB", on July 7, 2018 from 2pm to 10pm at the home of:
KEVIN & BOBBIE EILER
8791 South Meridian Road
Columbia City, IN 46725.
Details of the celebration to follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to help his girls with final expenses. These donations or gifts can be made out and sent to Heidi Cmar at 715 Shoreland Court, Columbia City, IN, 46725. Any questions or concerns please feel free to email either Heidi at habcmar2016@gmail.com, Angie at wak299@gmail.com, or Amanda at branningsue19982016@gmail.com for further information.
Tributes
"Randy was a fun guy in school. May he rest in peace"
"My condolences to Randy's family .May God give you strength through the sad times . I went all thru school with Randy and graduated with him . May he rest in peace. "
"My condolences to the family of Randy. I remember Randy fondly. We were good friends from 1st grade through high school graduation. "
"Randy and I ran around together in the 70's: softball, deer hunting, fishing (year around), coffee/cards on Sundays, and good times. He was natural athlete, a hard worker, and a good man."
"May each of you find courage to face tomorrow as you rest in the knowledge that we truly care about each of your needs and that we will walk beside you in your journey of grief. Randy Grimes, Brett Gerber and the Staff of DeMoney-Grimes Funeral Home "