More detail on this person: Services: A
service to celebrate his life will be conducted at
1300 hours, April 20, 2017 in the auditorium at
North Carolina National Guard's Joint Force
Headquarters, 1636 Gold Star Drive, Raleigh, NC
27607.
Command Chief Warrant Officer (Retired) Randall
Albert Watkins passed away peacefully on
Thursday March 23, 2017 following a courageous
battle with cancer.
Randy was born December 1, 1950 in Durham NC
to Elba Appel Watkins and the late Lester A.
Watkins. He is survived by his wife of 29 years
Patrice Vaccaro Watkins; sons Geoffrey Watkins
and wife Jen Makim and daughter Audrey;
Christopher Watkins; brothers Ricky Watkins and
wife Pam and nieces Emily Watkins and Bethany
Bullers; Barry Watkins and wife Verna and niece
Jillian Watkins and nephew Greyson Watkins and
their mother Elaine Watkins.
Randy was passionate about his family, his
military service, his southern roots, his friends,
automobiles and flying.
He enlisted and served in the US Army from 1969 to
1976, with one year as a helicopter pilot in the
Republic of Vietnam. He joined the WRAL-TV staff
in 1979 as the first pilot for their first news
helicopter, Sky 5. He joined North Carolina Army
National Guard Aviation in 1976 and retired in
2011 after over 40 years of military service. His
service with NCARNG Aviation Units included as an
UH-1, OH-58A/C, UH60A/L helicopter and C-26
fixed-wing Instructor Pilot, maintenance test
pilot, and instrument flight examiner. He was an
Aviation Life Support Specialist, Safety Officer
and served in several Warrant Officer Senior Staff
positions culminating as commander for Operational
Support Airlift (OSA) Detachment 17, Morrisville,
NC. In 2005 Randy deployed with Detachment 17 to
Djibouti, Africa in support of the Central Command
Mission in Southwest Asia.
During his long and distinguished career in the
military, Randy held positions of responsibility
and key leadership and received awards and
accolades from the highest levels, many of them
multiple awards; the Master Army Aviator Badge,
Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal,
Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct
Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement
Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam
Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign
Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary
Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Army Service
Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/ M
Device.
Patrice would like to extend the family's sincere
gratitude to their many friends for their love and
compassion and to the medical teams at The
Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, Duke
University Hospital, Duke Hospice-Hock Family
Pavilion, and the staff of Hillcrest Convalescent
Center for their phenomenal care during Randy's
illness.
A service to celebrate his life will be conducted
at 1300 hours, April 20, 2017 in the auditorium at
North Carolina National Guard's Joint Force
Headquarters, 1636 Gold Star Drive, Raleigh, NC
27607.
Burial with Full Military Honors will follow at a
later date in Arlington National Cemetery,
Arlington, Virginia.
The family has requested that in lieu of flowers
memorial contributions may be made in Randy's
memory to The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor
Center, DUMC Box 3624, Durham, NC 27710. Or
online at
http://www.gifts.duke.edu/dukehealth/?designation=
3912597
"For those who have fought for it, freedom has a
flavor the protected will never know".
Burial information: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA
This information was last updated 03/31/2017
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Date posted on this site: 04/13/2025
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