Obituary of Randy Nowell

Randy Nowell, a man dedicated to his family, his church, and his community passed away peacefully at the Lahey Clinic Hospital and Medical Center on Thursday, May 28, 2015. The beloved husband of 28 years of Laura (Corwin) Nowell, he had just turned 65 years old on Monday, May 25th. Born in Lexington to the late Ralph E. & Jennie (Smith) Nowell, Randy graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in Electrical Engineering and later obtained a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He was a member of Tau Beta Pi. His early career was spent as a sales engineer in the aerospace industry, where he worked for Mitre, Honeywell, and Dynamic Research Corp. After the birth of his second son, Nick, he spent many rewarding years as a stay-at-home dad, during which he participated in a burgeoning local “dads group” for stay-at-home fathers and their children. Once Nick started school, Randy returned to work with O’Connor Hardware & Rental in Billerica. Randy was well known around the store as a friendly face always willing to help. Randy cared deeply for his community as well. An involved member of the Burlington Swim and Tennis Club for well over a decade, Randy served as secretary for several years. He was also very active with the United Church of Christ, Burlington, where he held multiple leadership positions over the years. Here, perhaps his proudest achievement was his organization of the annual Thanksgiving In-gathering for People Helping People, which ultimately fed nearly 200 needy families in Burlington every Thanksgiving. As a longtime member of People Helping People, Randy played a pivotal role in countless charitable fundraisers, including wine tastings at Café Escadrille and cookouts on Burlington Common, where he could always be found manning the grill himself. Quiet and unassuming, he greatly aided in increasing the visibility of People Helping People and ensuring its long-term stability. All these charitable successes left him deeply satisfied. A lover of sandy beaches and unjustifiably expensive steak, Randy and Laura enjoyed traveling, with one of their favorite destinations being Bermuda, where they had just visited last March. For many years, the family would also take annual trips to St. Croix. He looked forward to their occasional trips to England to see friends and family as well. He was immensely proud of his two sons, Justin and Nick, who graduated from Reading Memorial and Arlington Catholic High School, respectively. His pride only grew as they made their way through college, with Justin graduating from Boston College and later pursuing an MBA at New York University, and Nick graduating from Harvard shortly before his death. A rabid fan of Boston sports, he never missed the chance to voice his adoration for Tom Brady, his disdain for the theatrics of professional basketball, or his respect for even the most bitter rival, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. He was a fixture at Starbucks and True North, where he would stop multiple times a day to satiate his infamous addiction to coffee. Although Randy’s life came to an end much too soon, during his 65 years among us, he blessed us with nothing short of total devotion to his family, his faith, and his community. Randy was the beloved husband of 28 years of Laura (Corwin). Proud father of Justin Randall Nowell of Reading and Nicholas Hobart Nowell of Burlington. Brother of Robin Hartery of Milford, NH and Rhonda Knapp of VT. Also survived by many brothers- and sisters-in-laws, nieces, nephews, and friends. Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, at 43 Winn St., Burlington, on Sunday, May 31 from 5-8 p.m. Funeral Services will be held at the United Church of Christ, Congregational, at 6 Lexington St., Burlington, on Monday, June 1, at 10 a.m. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Randy’s name may be made to People Helping People, PO BOX 343., Burlington, MA 01803.