Randi Cockerill

Randi’s service will be livestreamed below shortly before it starts:

Randi Cockerill, age 70, of Moorhead, MN, died December 4, 2023, at Essentia Hospital, Fargo, ND, with his wife by his side.

Randi was born in Fargo to Leon Jr. and Helen (Pederson) Cockerill. He lived in Harwood, ND, until age 8 before they moved to the family farm south of Mapleton, ND. He attended and graduated from Mapleton School. After graduation, Randi joined the US Air Force. After basic training in Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX, he was stationed at Clark AFB in the Philippines during the Vietnam War as military police. Randi guarded the plane that the United States Vice President was on when the POWS were released from Vietnam. After the Philippines, he went back to Lackland AFB where he continued as military police. He was discharged after four years in the Air Force.

After the service, Randi worked miscellaneous jobs, including Kenney’s Shoes, Diamond Vogel Paints, and in a green house in West Fargo. At the greenhouse, he remembered moving thousands of railroad tires ties that were being used in landscaping; this was probably the start of back problems!

He attended North Dakota State University, Moorhead State University, Moorhead Technical College, and Dakota Business College.

Randi started working in maintenance for the Fargo Public Schools in 1979 and enjoyed his 21 years there. He retired in 2000. He attended Wahpeton State School of Science where he earned his Master Boilers License; he had a passion for steam engines. The school district took the pellet boiler out after Randi retired!

Randi and Christine bought the old Country Kitchen/Fry N Pan building in north Moorhead and opened Hwy 75 Antiques and Collectables. Randi loved to hunt for antiques. He and Christine set up at many flea markets in Minnesota and Texas, including Round Top, Texas. It was amazing!

Randi’s true passion, besides his wife and family, was books and papers. He wanted to be called The Book Man. The older the book, the older the paper, and the older the leather, the better. He had some books that were over 400 years old.

It was a family tradition that the day after the last day of school, Randi, Christine, Cathie, and a friend of Cathie’s would go on a vacation to a different place every year. They went to Montana, Oregon, Washington, Canada, Michigan, Louisiana, Florida, West Virginia, Washington DC, and everywhere in between. Great memories were made.

Randi is survived by his wife Christine; step-daughter Cathie; sister Pamela; brothers Lon, Brian, and Leon III; nephews Cary and Chip; and great-nephews Issac, Silas, Ezra, and Jesse.

He was proceeded in death by his father Leon Jr.; mother Helen; and great-nephew Nathanael.