Randi Jo Fasnacht

Born on November 29, 1963, Randi often said, she “Had the best childhood ever.” As a child she loved playing outside with her brother, sister, and all of the neighborhood kids. She especially loved Hide and Go-Seek and playing all afternoon until she was called in at dark. Randi also enjoyed spending hours in her room alone with her imagination, pretending to be a DJ and a professional singer and playing with her dolls and dollhouses. She played little league baseball with her brother, even snatching the MVP award from him once. She loved camping with her family. The cross country trips were always filled with adventure, learning experiences, and sometimes even getting lost on backroads. She often spoke of cherishing the time she had with her mother and described fond memories of them going to get ice cream as they listened to the 70s music of the time, especially, Karen Carpenter. As a young adult, she loved playing co-ed recreational league softball and enjoyed family golf outings and fishing, which were activities full of laughs and competition.

Randi took her childlike spirit into her professional career and dedicated her life to nurturing the minds and hearts of those around her. She embarked on her educational journey at Washington Elementary and Fitzgerald Middle School, later graduating from Mankato Loyola High School. Her passion for education led her to earn a BA from the College of St. Benedict, where she also played on the college softball team. She later received a MEd in School Counseling from the University of North Florida.

Randi began her teaching career at Fitzgerald Middle School in Mankato, MN in 1987, where she also coached basketball and softball at Mankato Loyola High School.

In 1994, she decided to take a break from teaching and give a year of service in the Covenant House Faith Community where she served runaway youth residing at the Center. She was assigned to Covenant House Florida and there she met her wife who had joined the community 6 months prior. Once this commitment ended, she continued her teaching journey at Browning Pearce Elementary School in Putnam County, FL, before she transitioned to a role that defined much of her career, becoming a school counselor in the Flagler County School District in 2005. During her tenure, she was honored as Teacher of the Year twice, in 2015 at Bunnell Elementary and in 2021 at Buddy Taylor Middle School. Her professional endorsements from the Florida Department of Education included Guidance and Counseling, Elementary Education, and Physical Education. As a School Counselor, Randi was admired for her dedication, compassion, and the support she gave to parents, students, and the faculty and staff. First and foremost though, Randi made sure her students were always seen, heard, and felt cared for.

Randi's personal life was rich with love and relationships. She is survived by: her wife, Sara Riley; daughters, Rose Riley and Mae Fasnacht; sister, Heidi (Jim) St. Peter; niece and nephew, Amy and Josh Anderson; great nieces, MaKenzie & MaKaela; brother, Chris Fasnacht; nephews, Ben (Olivia) and Eric (Kath) Fasnacht; great niece, Scarlett; great nephew, Frank; godmother/aunt, Tilda Schneider; uncle, Curt (Cec) Handevidt; and many cousins.

Randi’s hobbies included spending time with family and friends; camping, going to movies, and traveling. She loved reading, going to the library and bookstores, and particularly enjoyed Stephen King and other mystery novels. More recently, she began reading books focused on spirituality, such as works by Fr. Richard Rohr and Meister Eckhart. She loved attending music festivals and concerts; particularly a special trip with Mae to The Eras Tour. Her love for Taylor Swift is one she shared with both Rose and Mae. For almost 30 consecutive years, she and her wife and friends attended the Florida Folk Festival; a tradition they continued with their daughters. With their annual passes, Mae and Randi often made the trip on I-4 to spend time at the Walt Disney World parks.

Randi passionately supported her favorite Minnesota sports teams, especially the Twins and Vikings (SKOL) and the University of Notre Dame football. As an avid sports player, she excelled in softball, pickleball, basketball, and other sports; often participating in pickleball tournaments alongside her wife. She loved driving her beloved Kia Soul and if you were lucky enough to ride with her, you would still hear 70s music first on the dial. Randi carried her playful spirit in everything she did as she continued to enjoy putting LEGOs and puzzles together up until the last month of her life.

As a lifelong Catholic, Randi attended Mother Seton Catholic Church and Santa Maria Del Mar before recently joining First United Methodist Church/The Gathering Place. Her faith and love for Jesus and the Eucharist was an integral part of her life, guiding her service to others.

A memorial service will be celebrated at Palm Coast United Methodist Church, 6500 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast, FL, on Saturday, April 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.

Donations:

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to SOAR (Support Our Aging Religious) at soar-USA.org, an organization Randi donated to for many years or the

Randi Fasnacht Memorial Scholarship

https://gofund.me/3ec4c089

Randi would also like to thank Dr. Padmaja Sai and her staff at the Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute and Dr. Paul Nowicki at Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center for the ten years of care they provided to her. She appreciates the kindness and support the faculty and staff from Flagler County Schools extended to her.

We will continue to honor Randi’s memory with a celebration of life, which will be held in Minnesota.