Randolph Hargrave

Randolph Ulysses Hargrave received his early education in Como, NC. His educational journey continued at Truxton Elementary after his family relocated to Portsmouth, Virginia. S.H. Clarke was the setting for his Junior High School years. Woodrow Wilson High School, home of the “Presidents”, became his alma mater as he was a graduate of the Class of 1969. He furthered his education receiving a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia. In the year of 2018, Randy had taken several classes in religion from Tidewater Community College. The day before his demise, he shared with his wife what he felt was a personal word from GOD. He told her to always remember this date, April 4, 2019, for it was on this day that GOD said to him, “ You have been running from me for 30 years. You were doing good things, but that is not what I called you to do. I called you to preach. I will deliver you from whatever you are going through.” He was preparing Randy for his final season on earth. Randolph was truly devoted to his community and a lifelong member of Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church, Portsmouth, Virginia. It was there where he served as Sunday School Superintendent, Sunday School Teacher for Youth and Adult Men, Member of The Board of Christian Education, Faithful Commander of the AWANA Ministry, Deacon Board Ministry, Budget Ministry, Male Choir, chaired several Pastor’s and Church Anniversaries, instrumental in the Marketing Ministry, teacher in the Discipleship Evangelism Ministry, and a Spiritual Walk Ministry just to name a few. Randy was known as the “King of CO-OP” for advertising for newspapers across the country. Alan Levenstein, Randy’s former sales manager, recalled conversations at every conference in which he would introduce himself to ad executives as a representative from the Virginian-Pilot. He would hear them respond, “The Virginian-Pilot, isn’t that where Randy Hargrave is? Randy had transformed their Co-op Program after he visited their newspaper and conducted training for their sales staff. Randy shared his successful training program to the newspaper in 38 states as well as a newspaper in England, where he and his daughter Kenesha traveled when she was in the 8th grade. Randy took upon himself to learn the Co-op business. The Pilot reaped millions of dollars offered by manufacturers that would not have been realized without the work of Randy, the “King of Co-op”. He was genuine and honest in dealing with people, and they realized it. In the 1980’s, because the paper believed in the spirit of competition, the basketball league was born. This was an important venture for Landmark, and they needed to be ensured that it was in the right hands. They realized their own Randolph Ulysses Hargrave had “the right hands” and the “Midas Touch”. He became commissioner of the team. Randy did it all - coordinated the schedules, hired the referees, found the gym where the games were to be played. He even swept the floor after the game. Randy was quite a competitor. He did not need to play for he had outstanding talent on his team: Fred Jones, Jack Ross, Tony Martinette, Leonard “Speedy” Gainer, guys who played in high school and college. The moral of this story is Randy showed to his team and to the other team that we all know. He was a guy who would do the dirty work and whatever it took for his team to win, whether it was chasing Co-op Advertisers, gas contractors, NSU Presidents. You name it. He never met a challenge he did not relish. In the 1990’s Harbor Park opened. The Pilot wanted to make sure they showed the customers how much they appreciated their business but still tried to keep within budget. Well, at least most of the team did, and then there was Randy “Bubba Gump Shrimp” Hargrave. No one loved shrimp like him. In the early days, most of the bills from the sky box would be in the $300.00 range. However, this time the director Bruce Bradley signed it and let it go. This was the same routine, but he noticed the bill in the neighborhood of $600 dollars! He wondered how the stadium made a mistake. He checked who had the box. You guessed it, “Shrimp Hargrave,” along with the Qualified Gas Contractors. Randy was called and asked, “What happened”? He said those are my people, and I know they love shrimp. That shrimp is going to get me some full-page ads this year. It was at this time the “No Shrimp Without Approval or NSWA rule was born. Randy believed doing what you need to do and ask for forgiveness later. Thus, the legend of Randy “Bubba Gump Shrimp” Hargrave was born. In 2011 after working proudly, faithfully, with incomparable integrity, for over three decades, Randy retired from the Virginian-Pilot Newspaper as Co-op Manager. An award was bestowed in his honor, The Randy Hargrave Crusader of the Month Award. Randy epitomized the definition of “Crusader” for the tireless energy he put into every initiative he undertook, especially ones that required results from the entire Ad Department. A sense of team work is what motivated Randy to make those around him better by providing guidance with sale opportunities and support for sales executives, especially the ones less seasoned. Randy was an exceptional individual who persevered through adversity, never giving up and always staying positive. Randy was the creator of the African Americans Today section of the Virginian-Pilot newspaper, recognizing local Black pioneers in the Tidewater area. As an extension of his legacy of integrity and diligence, Randy was also a part of the Board of Zoning Appeals in Portsmouth, Adjunct Professor at Norfolk State University, and created a Male Mentoring Program at Tidewater Community College, a weekly session called Champions for Change. As we celebrate, we will be reminded of Randy’s crusading spirit and his determination to succeed against the odds. We treasure the thoughts of Randy’s extended family, his friends, and his Virginian-Pilot family. Things you could always count on from Randy as recounted by those who knew him best -- Unwavering love for God, Passion for his family, the Pilot Newspaper, and Tidewater Community College Spreading the Gospel/Winning souls for CHRIST.

Randolph Hargrave

May 2, 1950 - April 13, 2019