Charles Cavender

CHARLES RANDALL CAVENDER, LOVING HUSBAND TO BOBBI, SON TO HELEN, STEP FATHER TO CHRIS AND MICKEY, BEAR TO BROOKLYN AND JACKSON, AND FRIEND TO ALL WHO KNEW HIM, PEACEFULLY PASSED FROM THIS WORLD ON APRIL 30, 2015.

RANDY WAS BORN IN NASHVILLE TN, MIDDLE CHILD AND ONLY SON TO HELEN AND PAUL CAVENDER. HE GREW UP IN NASHVILLE AND, SHORTLY AFTER GRADULATION FROM HIGH SCHOOL, JOINED THE U S NAVY, PROUDLY SERVING AS A NAVY CORPSMAN FOR 20 YEARS.

IN 1985, WHILE ATTENDING SURGICIAL TECH SCHOOL IN PORTSMOUTH VA, RANDY MET AND LATER MARRIED BOBBI. THEY SPENT THE NEXT 28 YEARS SHARING THEIR LOVE OF LIFE, ADVENTURE AND TRAVEL.

AFTER RETIRING FROM THE NAVY IN 2003, RANDY BOUGHT HIS FIRST GOLDWING 1200 MOTORCYCLE, WHICH IGNITED HIS PASSION FOR THE OPEN ROAD. ALL HE NEEDED TO COMPLETE HIS PLAN WAS FOR HIS BEST FRIEND, MIKE, TO SHARE HIS PASSION. THUS BEGAN THE ADVENTURES OF MIKE AND RANDY, WITH TAGALONGS JAN AND BOBBI.

TO THE CHILDREN OF THE FAMILY, RANDY WAS A BIG KID. HE PLAYED VIDEO GAMES, SPUN TALL TALES ABOUT TATOOS AND MERMAIDS, AND READ THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS STORY. HE ALWAYS MADE THEM FEEL, SPECIAL AND LOVED. RANDY HAD A SPECIAL PLACE IN HIS HEART FOR HIS “SON” MICHAEL JOHN. UNABLE TO HAVE CHILDREN OF HIS OWN HE STEPPED IN TO RAISE HIM. THEY HAD A SPECIAL BOND THAT FOLLOWED FOR THE REST OF RANDY’S LIFE, AND WILL CONTINUE THRU THE REST OF MICHAELS.

IN DEC 2012 RANDY WAS DIAGNOSED WITH LUNG CANCER. THE NEXT TWO YEARS WERE NOT DEFINED BY HIS CANCER BUT BY THIS STRENGTH. HE FOUGHT FOR AND WON MOMENTS TO CHERISH, AND CONTINUED TO LIVE FOR THE LOVE OF LIVING. IN THE FACE OF HIS SUFFERING HE CHOSE NOT TO COMPLAIN, BUT TO ANSWER WITH SINCEREITY THAT HE WAS FINE, EVEN AS HE WENT FROM CANE TO WALKER TO WHEELCHAIR TO BED. RANDY ALWAYS SAID HE WANTED QUALITY AND NOT QUANITY AND HE MADE EVERY DAY A QUALITY EXPERIENCE.

RANDY WAS PREDEASED BY HIS DAD, PAUL CAVENDER. HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE BOBBI, HIS STEP SONS CHRISTOPHER (CAROLYN) AND MICHAEL JOHN (KATE), TWO GRAND CHILDREN, BROOKLYN AND JACKSON, HIS MOTHER HELEN, TWO SISTERS JACKIE AND MISSY, AS WELL AS MANY IN-LAWS, NEICES AND NEPHEWS.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, MEMORIAL DONATIONS CAN BE MADE TO THE S.E.C.U. HOUSE OF WILMINGTON OR LOWER CAPE FEAR HOSPICE CENTER.

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