Randall John Capps lost his battle with congestive heart failure on October 9, 2026. This unfortunate outcome was due to an uncaring system that refused to treat him. Too sick to work, too young for Medicare, he was denied any lifesaving services. He died while waiting for KanCare to approve his emergency coverage; it had been 2 months into his “emergency” application. We called weekly to follow up, check progress, and let them know he was deteriorating. We need to do better for our people in dire need in this Country.

But on to the life of this special soul, a kind heart with a big voice, Randy was born January 1, 1965, in Monrovia, California. He started that year off with a bang for our family. He was raised by our unconventional family: his mother, Denise Chessar; his grandmother (Nama), Ellen Rosch; his brother, Robert Chessar; and his sister, Tracy Chessar Woods. He grew up in the idyllic 1970s San Fernando Valley, California, where playing outside until the streetlights came on and riding his bike wherever it took him were the norm. Randy never left the house without his swimming trunks under his clothes because he might run into a pool and didn’t want to miss a chance to swim. Other fun facts about Randy: he always had a million projects going on at once- cars, home improvements, yard work, woodworking, and more; it was hard to keep him down. He just had such a hard time with physical limitations. He was like the Energizer Bunny; he always wanted to keep going. He had a commitment to animals. When his partner Brena passed away, she had several wolf dogs that were very difficult to care for. But he kept them and continued to care for them in very difficult circumstances. He also fed the crazy wild cats that roamed the neighborhood because he felt sorry for them. He recently picked up a couple of goats.

He worked for the Los Angeles School System, first at UCLA, then transferred to local schools in the San Fernando Valley after buying a home there, marrying Valerie Capps, and the birth of his first son, Randall. He had a second son, Johnathan. He moved to Jacobs Creek, Kansas, in 2004 to be close to his mother and sister, who had moved there. With his wife and two young sons, they started a new adventure in Kansas. As life went on, the marriage didn’t work out, and Valerie moved away with the boys. Randy didn't communicate with the boys much while they were growing up, but he developed a nice relationship with Johnathan over the last several years. Randy enjoyed his chats with Johnathan; he made him proud and happy. He always spoke fondly of Johnathan; despite the time and distance between them, he held a special place in his heart.

For a time, he worked at Dolly Madison; then he went over to Wolf Creek and worked for Bechtel, where he unfortunately became ill, and his congenital heart defect came to light. His heart failed so rapidly and unexpectedly at that time he was in a coma and not expected to survive. But those who knew Randy well knew his stubborn streak, and he refused to go. He thankfully recovered and lived another 13 years. While disabled, he felt unproductive and heard about a part-time job through his brother-in-law, Kenny Woods, and his time with Coffey County began. He enjoyed the camaraderie with his coworkers and loved complaining about the summertime conditions, as did everyone else. He did that for a few years, then moved to the janitorial staff at the Courthouse. That fit his past work experience with the LASUD, as the work was very similar. He did that until his heart failure advanced and stopped him from working further.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Denise Chessar; grandmother, Ellen Rosch; brother, Robert Chessar; long-time companion, Brena Hadjian; and brother-in-law, Kenny Woods.

He is survived by his older sister (and terminal protector), Tracy Woods, and nieces Amanda Hanners (Mark), Harmonie Cutter (Paul), Nichole Morales (Ricky), and Tina Navarro, and many great-nieces. Also, by sons Randall Capps and Johnathan Capps. Graveside services will be announced at a later date.