Randall Max Thies

Randall Max Thies - 'Randy' to us - passed away at his home in Tecumseh, Kansas on Friday, 22 July 2016.

Randy was born on 2 December 1946 in Wichita, Kansas. He grew up in Garden City, Kansas, and graduated from high school there in 1964. Oddly, given his independent and free-spirited nature, he willingly submitted to military discipline when he volunteered for the Army in 1965. At a time when other men of his age were protesting the war in Vietnam, Randy volunteered for service there. He got his wish, and as a brand new replacement being put on guard duty his first night in country, he was suddenly surrounded by rocket and rifle fire. The threat of imminent attack, and of imminent demise, passed only when he heard two soldiers singing "Auld Lang Syne" – it was New Year's Eve. The remainder of his deployment passed more or less uneventfully in Cam Ranh Bay. Randy left Vietnam in August 1967 and was discharged from the Army a year later as a Specialist 4th Class. His service to his country was a matter of life-long pride.

Following Randy's discharge he returned to Garden City and took up a life of leisure as a dedicated long-haired hippie, although not so laid-back as to keep him from graduating from Garden City Community College in 1970. A year of traveling far and wide led to purchasing a plot of land in Canada (who knows why,) a van being consumed by fire on the Golden Gate Bridge (don't ask) and probably more-or-less legal activities in Mexico. Returning to Kansas, Randy graduated from Washburn University and took a position as an archeologist with the Kansas State Historical Society, eventually furthering his education with a Master's degree in Archeology from Iowa State University.

As an archeologist for the State of Kansas, Randy was frequently in the field, whether it was carefully excavating an Indian village, teaching students, or being called away on a moment's notice to some remote highway dig to ensure some archaeological site was not being disturbed. When not in the field, he found time to write a number of scholarly articles, and to give presentations to groups. He was especially noted as an expert, and expert speaker, on the many forms of grave markers. His "I Brake For Graveyards" bumper sticker was not an exaggeration.

Randy was married briefly (two months) while in the Army after Vietnam. It was a marriage of convenience, the girl received Randy's quarters allotment, and Randy escaped the barracks on post. There was a second marriage to Becky Bruchy, which lasted almost ten years, and then a third for thirteen years to Diane Good, with whom he had two children, Evan and Karol Jean. Finally Randy got it right, marrying the love of his life, Karla Picolet on 26 June 2004. Befitting an archeologist and a free spirit, the marriage took place at beautiful Topeka Cemetery.

Not long after his marriage to Karla, Randy volunteered to serve in Iraq as a civilian archeological investigator for the Regime Crimes Liaison Office Iraq Mass Graves Team. He deployed to Iraq in January 2005, returning June 2005.

Randy retired from the Kansas State Historical Society in March 2008. Although he famously declared that for the six months following retirement, "I ain't doing nothing," his curious mind refused to rest. He began noticing that a number of residential yards in Topeka sported an unusual form of outdoor lawn furniture, of a type no longer produced and known as the "Topeka glider." Complete strangers found him at their doors inquiring about their gliders and whether they would be willing to part with them. Randy, a noted cheapskate, got them free or for a pittance. Topeka gliders in various states of repair began appearing at his home in Tecumseh. Not content to just refurbish them, the scholar in him was compelled to research the history of the Topeka glider and write up his findings.

Sadly, Randy was betrayed by an early onset of fronto-temporal dementia, which slowly diminished his faculties until his death. Randy will be cremated, with his remains being interred at the Grand Army of the Republic section of Topeka Cemetery.

There will be a short graveside service with Military Honors at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday August 21, 2016 at Topeka Cemetery. Directly following the service there will be a Celebration of Life at Lake Shawnee Shelter House #3. Food and drinks will be catered.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Kansas Anthropological Association (KAA) at PO Box 750962, Topeka, Ks 66675.