Douglas A. Randall

Douglas A. Randall of Squantum, formerly of Winchester, passed away on October 25, 2015.   He was 91.

Mr. Randall was born in December 1923, the son of Leon N. and Viola B. (DeCoster) Randall of Wollaston.   Mr. Randall entered Northeastern University School of Engineering in September 1941.   He completed 1 1/2  years at Northeastern before entering the U.S Army in January 1943.   He served in the medical corps in France during World War II, and was honorably discharged in March 1946.   He and his wife, Louise Ellen (Hey), were married in August 1946.  He returned to his studies at Boston University;  he graduated from the Boston University School of Law in June 1949, and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in that year. 

In 1950, Mr. Randall was appointed an Assistant City Solicitor of Quincy, and in 1956 was promoted to City Solicitor, in which position he served until 1966.   Mr. Randall developed an expertise in municipal law.  He served as President of the Massachusetts City Solicitors and Town Counsel Association in 1961-62, and he served as its executive secretary from the mid-sixties to the mid-seventies.    In 1973 he was appointed Town Counsel of Winchester.  He also taught the municipal law course at Suffolk University School of Law for five years.   After many years of editing the annual updates, he was engaged by the West Publishing Company as the principal author of  the Third Edition of the Municipal Law treatises of the Mass. Practice Series, which were published in 1982.   He later completed the Fourth Edition.    During his career, he briefed and argued a total of 28 cases in the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts and the United States Court of Appeals.   In addition to the City of Quincy and the Town of Winchester, Mr.  Randall represented over 30 different cities and towns in various special litigation or in the drafting of their new charters.   He retired as Town Counsel of Winchester in June 1989 and continued his private practice in Quincy. 

Mr. Randall was an avid sailor.  He raced Snipe Class sailboats as a teenager, when he met his future wife,  and together they raced Hustler Class sailboats well into their 70’s.  He taught all six of his children how to sail.  In over 30 years of racing, he won the First Place trophy in numerous sailing events, including in the Hustler National Championship, Quincy Bay Race Week, and Marblehead Race Week.

Mr. Randall was also a classically trained musician, having studied both piano and French Horn in his youth.   He sang tenor in both the Braintree Choral Society and the Lexington Choral Society, now known as the Masterworks Chorale.

Mr. Randall was predeceased in 2014 by his beloved wife of 67 years, Louise E. (Hey) Randall.   He is survived by their six children and their spouses: a daughter, Kristie, and her husband Dwight Dewsnap of Milton; and five sons: George and his partner Alice Horner of Hingham, Nathan (Ted) and his wife Deena of Squantum, Alexander and his wife Virginia of Hingham, Roger and his wife Elizabeth of Wellesley, and Barry and his wife Lisa of St. Paul, MN; and also by 16 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.   He is also survived by his brother Robert Randall of Quincy.   He was predeceased by his brothers Andrew of Pleasantville, NY, Richard of Virginia Beach, Va., and Bruce of Wollaston.   

Family and friends are invited to visiting hours at the Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock Street, Quincy, Thursday from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Burial will be private.  

In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor may be made to The Alzheimer’s Association, Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter, 480 Pleasant Street, Watertown, MA 02472 or at alz.org.