Randall Arlonis Simpkins
1938 – 2021
“I’ve always wanted to go into space!”
Randy passed on December 2, 2021 at the age of 83 after a valiant fight with cancer. He died in his Costa Mesa, California home of 45 year surrounded by his loving family. But just two weeks before, his son Ryan discovered Celestis. We asked Randy if he would be interested in orbiting the earth on a Space X rocket, to which he replied, “You’re pulling my leg!” When he realized this truly was possible, he was exuberant saying, “You know I’ve always wanted to go into space!”
While Randy didn’t get to explore space during his lifetime, his was one full of adventure and scientific exploration. After spending his youth moving throughout the country with his family, Randy returned to his beloved native California in his 1953 Porsche the day he graduated from Ohio State University with his Bachelors in Physics. He worked at both Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Ford Scientific Laboratories specializing in low-temperature superconductivity. His research team at JPL developed the first superconducting magnets that eventually were adapted for MRI technology. He continued his physics research as a PhD candidate at the Scripps Institute.
Randy’s desire for exploration was not limited to science. In the late sixties he captained his 60-foot schooner, the See Drache, from Newport Beach to Tahiti with no navigation tools other than a sextant, and continued sailing throughout Central America and the Virgin Islands. Continually frustrated by the lack of cold beers on the boat, he invented and manufactured a marine refrigeration system that allowed sailors to enjoy his two favorite things – beer and ice cream. Fifty years later, his Technautics products are still sold around the world.
A true athlete and outdoorsman, Randy ran the San Francisco Marathon twice; was one of the first to climb Tahquitz Rock and parts of Yosemite; was on ski patrol at Mammoth Mountain; and piloted his Cessna 210. His love of travel to seldom seen places was shared by his wife of 35 years, Kay, and they travelled to extraordinary destinations throughout the world.
Randy was a devoted father to his children Ryan, Cody and Taylor. He instilled in them the value of work; teaching them that they were never to say they couldn’t do something, but rather they were having difficulties. He was always there to help them follow their passions and to enjoy life to the fullest, as he did. Randy’s relationship with his brother, Lynn, was one of friendship that was unmatched. In their later years they never missed watching a Space X launch and had more stories of fun times spent together throughout their entire lives than one could count (or would be suitable to print).
To say Randy will be missed by many would be an understatement. His quirky sense of humor was complemented by his quiet and joyful presence that touched us all. Randy’s epitaph, “He was one of the nicest guys,” has been echoed for decades and up to his last breath by friends, colleagues, and relatives alike.
Randy is survived by his wife Kay, his children Ryan, Cody, and Taylor, his grandchildren Oliver and Everett, his brother Lynn, and his beloved brothers and sisters-in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents Ralph and Margaret, and his brother Terry.
Randy’s final mission on Excelsior will be the culmination of a life of exploration and adventure. To fulfill his dream of space travel makes all of us who loved him feel both solace and joy.
