Class of 1970 Commemorative Biographical Book

V I C T O R L . R A N D O L P H

Victor L. Randolph, M.D., age 70, of Bliss St., Westfield, died June 15, 2015, at home, following an extended illness. Victor was born on February 18, 1945, in Washington, GA, the son of the late Victor Leon and Mamie Katharine (Allen) Randolph. He married Sharon Woodward on November 6, 2004, in Westfield, NY. He was valedictorian of Washington Wilkes High School, did his undergraduate work at Morehouse College, earned his Medical Doctorate (M.D.) at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, did his internal medicine residency at The University of Michigan, and completed his fellowship in oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Victor had retired as a full-time practicing physician, and dedicated his time to covering areas in the country that have physician shortages, with Weatherby Health Care of Salt Lake City, UT, a provider of Locum Tenens. He had most recently been serving at the

Mayo Clinic in MN. He was proud of the time he spent during the VietnamWar with the CDC in Atlanta, GA. Victor was an accomplished chess player who had won several tournaments. He was a runner, having ran ten marathons, including the Marine Corps, Los Angeles, and Tampa marathons. He enjoyed traveling with his wife; they had just finished a several thousand-mile road trip to visit many of the National Parks of the American West and Midwest. Victor was a sports fanatic, who enjoyed all sports, especially basketball. He loved chocolate and bacon, and his canine “boys,” Raymie and Graylen. He is survived by his wife of ten years, Sharon (Woodward) Randolph, and her two children, Nathan (Jessica) Roberts and Taylor Roberts, both of Holland, MI., and by his three children, Brooke, Lauren and Stewart Randolph. He is further survived by his sister, Gwendolyn Owens of Southfield, MI.

J O E L M I T C H E L L V AV I C H

Dr. Joel Mitchell Vavich, 74, passed away on August 8, 2019 at HCA Medical Center Clear Lake. He is survived by his daughters Hope & Brazos Starr of Nacogdoches, Tiffany Gunning of St. Petersburg FL, Jordan Doty of Lawton, OK, Michelle Vavich & Derek Moreland of Austin, Vanessa & Jed Ragsdale of Cypress, sons Brendan Vavich of Angleton, Cammie Vavich of Alvin, Christopher Vavich of Austin, Danny & Paradee Berkowitz of Woodbine, MD, David Vavich of Killeen, spouse Kathleen Sommers Vavich of Alvin, and stepmother Marcia Vavich of Tucson AZ. Dr. Vavich had 13 grandchildren who adored him including Mary, David Jr. and Sage Vavich; October and Cassandra Vavich; Joshua and Jacob Vavich, Hailey Berkowitz, Lexi Gunning, Lori Mulhollan, Savannah Doty, & Avery and Aidan Ragsdale. Dr. Vavich was a local pediatrician in Lake Jackson and was truly dedicated to his practice over the last several decades serving children and their families in Brazoria County.

Dr. Vavich was born in Belle Font, PA to Mitchell G. Vavich and Lillian O. Vavich, and was raised in Tucson, AZ. His grandmother “Baba” and grandfather Juro emigrated from Krusevice, Serbia in 1911, and settled in the mining community of Globe, AZ. His grandmother lived with the family as Dr. Vavich grew up, and he was always close with his mother

Lillian. His mother passed while Dr. Vavich was in college at the University of Oregon, and as a result he switched his major from marine biology to medicine. Dr. Vavich graduated with honors from Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1967, and graduated second in his class from John Hopkins School of Medicine in 1970.