Damon Randles, 37

After a tremendous fight that lasted more than a year, Damon Randles decided to fight another day. He left us on Easter morning.

Born in Clarkston, Wash., on his Dad’s birthday, October 30, 1976, to Dennis and Dorothy Randles, Damon moved with the family and grew up in east Missoula, Mont. As a kid, Damon loved finding trouble, and went out of his way to make sure his brothers and sister knew he was his Dad’s favorite. He served in the United States Army from 1996 until his discharge in 2000.

After leaving the military, Damon returned home to Missoula and worked at Stimson Lumber for several years. He loved fishing with his Dad and his brothers on the rivers near Missoula and in the Seeley-Swan lakes. Damon could often be found on the Clark Fork near Missoula with a fishing rod in his hand searching for just one more fish.

Damon moved to Rathdrum, Idaho, in 2005. The many lakes in the area appealed to Damon, and most weekends he could be found on a boat plying the area waters for bass and pike. He also enjoyed camping and spending time in the outdoors. He had a special love for his niece and nephews, and never hesitated to take them on adventures with him. Damon was every child’s favorite uncle and genuinely a kid at heart.  

When he wasn’t fishing and camping, Damon was fixing things for his mom, wood-working or reading. He was especially fond of reading books about philosophy, history, and religion. He came to reading later in life, but he was a voracious reader, and especially liked John Locke, Adam Smith, and classical philosophy. 

Damon also had a very intense love of the Dallas Cowboys. Sundays were for football, and it was common to find him at his brother’s house watching the game. He loved playing video games with his nephews and took every challenge seriously. Damon spent a great deal of time with his mom and enjoyed working on her house and in her yard; anything to make her life easier. He was honest and humble, an incredibly genuine person that was easy to talk to. Children gravitated to him and always wanted to be a part of whatever he was doing. Damon loved animals, and always had time to spend with cats and dogs.  

After moving to Idaho and working many jobs, Damon decided to go to college. He attended North Idaho College and was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, the Dean’s list, and received a scholarship for academic merit. He was attending the University of Idaho pursuing a degree in psychology at the time of his death. 

Damon was preceded in death by his grandparents; uncles, Casey and Kelly; aunt, Amy, and his beloved dad, Dennis. He is survived by his mom, Dorothy Randles of Rathdrum; brothers: Destry Randles (Becky) of Rathdrum, Ruben Randles (Teri) of Corvallis Mont., Deacon Randles (Nikki) of Missoula, Mont., and sister, De`Ara, of Missoula, Mont., nephews: Morgan, Dakota, Rohnin, Corbin, Gabriel, Wyatt, and Hunter; and niece, Cheyenne.

The family will hold a memorial service at 2 p.m., Saturday, April 26, at Yates Funeral Home, Hayden Chapel. Please visit Damon’s memorial and sign his online guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com